A Renaissance Woman

Recovery Gadgets

2012-01-27T11:19:00.002-06:00

It's no secret that most parents do not get a sufficient amount of sleep. This graph is based on my new Fitbit Ultra Tracker. Fitbit tracks your sleep, your steps, calories burned and a list of other things that you can find on the Fitbit Ultra Tracker web site. The main selling point for me is tracking my sleep or lack of sleep.

There have been some issues that I have had to work through and part of my problem is lack of sleep. We are a family of five and we all seem to have different sleep schedules. I can put my kids to bed but they will wake up in the middle of the night. This particular party in the wee hours of the morning is Silly (our 3 year old) climbing into our bed. We are suppose to walk her back up the stairs and put her in her room. Easier said than done when you can barely function but it needs to happen! 8 times awakened people. It's not just her but our dogs wanted to go outside and my husband is up around 4am to go to work. WOW! A total of 4 hours and 16 minutes of sleep.

Yesterday - I wanted to catch a little nap. I was just so exhausted but look what happened!

No wonder I'm still tired! I got to nap a whole 22 minutes. Our 3 year old got out of school early and she wasn't having nap time. Must get proper rest and I think this new gadget is going to help work it out. I'm not sure how yet but I'm going to get there.

Another cool feature is that it's all wireless. All I have to do is walk up to my desk and my gadget gives all the information to my computer and it will calculate how many calories I've burned and how many more I can eat based on my food log. I can't wait to start working out again so I can get more information on my activity.

This is how you bring SEXY back!

I've got two of those sleep supports for my my poor messed up feet. Apparently my lumbar sprain has my body alignment so messed up it's just traveling. My body mechanics are messed up! Not sure how to get that x-ray exported yet but I will so you can share in the fun of my not so straight spine.

The first night I wore those foot supports and took Ibuprofen I actually woke up without any pain in my feet. That's the last time that happened. Having flat feet that pronate inward is NO fun. I actually ended up buying some heel cushion inserts because the heel pain was so bad. They are actually working! Whoo Hoo!!!

The lumbar back brace is helping out a lot especially when I have to stand for long periods of time. I'm not sure how long this recovery is going to take...58 days and counting. My husband has a ton of warehouse jokes for me. In the meantime, I'm waiting to hear about the results from the MRI I had yesterday. It would be nice if the universe would align and just allow me to go back out and play! I found someone to take my spot in the 1/2 marathon Mardi Gras race in Galveston. I'm a little less sad about it since it went to someone who appreciates it! I know there are more races, I just want to know when I will be back in them?

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Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

2012-01-27T00:00:00.003-06:00

Are you hosting a #contest? Great! Post it here on Freebie Friday. What better time to search and enter contests than on the weekend? Sign in so that others can find your giveaway. I will be hosting Freebie Friday each week from now on so be sure to drop back by. Now go grab your tasty beverage, sit back and relax and contest hop with me! Don't forget to check out these hosted contest links too.

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#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 24 & 25

2012-01-26T21:41:00.000-06:00

Only 5 days left! Yesterday I opened up that jar of peanut butter to make my Silly her favorite PB&J. This time it didn't have that sweet yummy smell, no! In fact, it's almost gone and all I could smell was oil. GAK! It's no longer appealing. I'm not sure what happened. Check out these latest goodies that caught my eye.

Those Loft House cookies are ridiculous! I love to eat those. The Valentines day cookies just look super cute and Nutter Buttter cookies are my favorite. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm baked goods.

This morning I was so bored with eggs that I wanted to try something new!

Here is the recipe for Paleo Waffles:
1.5 cup almond flour
1/4 almond milk ( I used vanilla flavored)
2 large eggs
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
Dash cinnamon to taste ( I used 1 tsp cinnamon)

-Preheat your waffle iron
-Whisk eggs and milk
-Add dry ingredients
-Mix until smooth
You can top with almond butter or fresh fruit (I have yet to find almond butter)

Don't they look yummy? But how do they taste? Like GAK!!!!!!!! Flash backs to the apple banana muffins I made that looked and smelled delicious too. I'm now convinced that anything made with almond flour is going to have less flavor than a cardboard box. Please, don't take my word for it. Make them yourself and if you find flavor or have altered the recipe to create flavor let me know! I'm willing to try it. None of my kids liked them either. I thought maybe the strawberries would help but seriously! Why ruin a perfectly good strawberry?

Remember that mango ice cream? I tried the same recipe but with mixed fruit this time. It wasn't sweet at all so after it thawed out I threw it back in the blender and added a banana. Bingo! much better.

Recipe:
1 cup almond milk (no flavor), 1 cup mixed fruit, 1 banana, blend and freeze.

Whoo Hoo!!!! Almost there folks.

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#WordlessWednesday - Lego Party at The Kramers

2012-01-24T21:11:00.000-06:00

You're never too old for Legos!

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#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 22 & 23

2012-01-24T21:05:00.000-06:00

I can make it 7 more days I promise! If I haven't cheated by now I'm pretty sure it's a done deal. There has been enough emotional stress to break me already but I didn't break. :)

Here is that crock pot roast that we made. I added some carrots and celery to the mix and guess what?

It's Kid Approved!

This is the pineapple chicken. I wish I could say I was fan but I'm not. My chicken got too dry. Maybe overcooked too much in the crock pot????

I had to go with my back up plan, lettuce wraps. This time I added that guacamole salsa on top! WOW was that awesome. It was a perfect topping. In a few minutes I'm gonna go make another one. lol

Today was a super busy day! It's days like these when the protein shakes come in handy. I had chocolate powder so I came up with this one.

Chocolate Banana Smoothie
1 scoop chocolate
1 cup Almond milk (non flavored)
2 Bananas
YUM!!!!!

I'm sure I put some ice in there but I can't remember. I think it works either way. Only 7 days left and I've rocked another challenge. Feels good.

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#Mamavation Monday - Paleo/Whole 30

2012-01-23T12:45:00.000-06:00

I'm changing up my video series this year. I'm going to try and provide you with exercises that will help your body while you are working out with your regularly scheduled work outs.

We are into week four of the 30 Day Paleo Challenge.

I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. It's not easy and it's not for everyone. It takes a real commitment and support. I'm not sure how well I would be doing without the online support.

We are still working with new recipes and actually taking the time to plan our meals and focus on the ingredients and hopefully this will work out a lot better this week. I'm still on the injured list but have been cleared for upper body work, nothing over head, swimming and walking. I guess that is something. I've seen some real changes but I wish I was working out like everyone else to see more results. I guess it's just not my time and I have to be patient. I'm obviously NOT running the 1/2 in two weeks. I'm trying to just let that go and be at peace with it. It's not my time.

Pros: Not losing but just maintaining the weight loss, still trying new recipes, better planning, more cooking on Sundays! We had two crock pots going. Then we ate the fish for dinner. I don't eat fish. Well I guess I do now. I think that is one of the perks of Paleo, it strips your body and your pallet and you just start eating all sorts of things. My husband is getting involved in the grocery shopping, recipe hunting and cooking process. It's very helpful!

Cons: My Twitter feed is still filled with twitpics of things that I'm resisting on a daily basis! I'm having actual body pain from having to stand in the kitchen so long. It might not be so bad but this injury paired with standing for long periods of time is NOT good for me. It hurts.

Still working on: Operation: Humpty Dumpty

Eating out:

Pomodorras

My Work Outs this past week-

1/16 Monday - Injured

1/17 Tuesday - Injured

1/18 Wednesday - Injured

1/19 Thursday - Injured

1/20 Friday - Injured

1/21 Saturday - Injured

1/22 Sunday -Injured

Scale Reading - 1 pound gain this week.

Stress Level -HIGH - Frustrated with this injury still. Feel the pressure of not being able to run this next race that I already paid for. Wish I could get more water down.

The UP side-I'm getting better and I have been cleared to do a few things! It's something to work with.

Stretching is important!

Be a good role model.

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

The long term goal 37 pounds by the end of the year.
The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month.

January 172
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

5 Fingers of Thanks

2012-01-22T23:34:00.001-06:00

1.) Thankful for Sydnee and Leo. They make losing Toni a little less painful.

Sydnee

2.) Thankful to be on Day 21 of the Paleo Challenge. I'm 9 days away from completing the challenge!
3.) Thankful that I'm still on the road to recovery. Maybe this week is my week to get back to normal?
4.) Thankful to have such an awesome church family. It's really special to our family.
5.) Thankful to inspire people toward a healthier and fit life style. I'm here if you need me.

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 21

2012-01-22T23:25:00.000-06:00

It's Sunday and after 21 days I finally got a clue! I'm not sure why it took so long to sink in but it finally did. That or maybe it was after I ran through the grocery budget for the month and there is clearly still 9 days left until the next payday and we ARE going to need more food.
Today we planned out mostly what we are eating this week and looked at all the recipes and got everything we needed all at once. Maybe this will keep me from going to the grocery store nearly every day. That is super annoying. We have two crock pots and they are both going! First up...

I did a Google search for a crock pot roast Paleo of course and came up with this recipe on I Eat Mostly Meat. I didn't catch it at first but while making it the recipe calls for beef bullion and Worcestershire sauce. The ingredients are high fructose corn syrup in the sauce and sugar in both. Sounds nit picky but I have literally not had either. It's too late though because it's all in "Felix The Crock."

My husband's crock was named when he was 19 and that was a while back, just saying. This crock pot has been around a looooong time. Back to the recipe - It calls for a whole onion and that just seems like a LOT of onion in there. It's smells good but we'll see how it goes.

In my crock pot that remains nameless we are trying a recipe variation that was shared in our Facebook group by Heather Jackson. You can find her stuff on Pinterest. It's Pineapple Chicken and I'm not to sure about it but I'm going in! We used this recipe but substituted the meat for chicken and we didn't use cranberries. Next up! The Guacamole Salsa...

I'm happy we have the Cuisineart but I always tend to revert back to my Ninja! I love it.

Finally I found something that welcomes a celery stick! It's so HOT that your mouth is happy when it gets the cool celery.

Got the fish right this time! Here's the Salmon and we went with a lot of lemon.

Honestly it didn't taste that great to me but my little girl ate it UP! I mean she went to town. We fixed the Tilapia too but she didn't like it as much but our oldest son loved it! Our middle child didn't like either but he was a good sport about it.

For a side dish we went with squash! A little olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic salt and none of us really cared for it. lol - If you can make squash taste good, please...let me know! My Mother and Grandmother had come over this evening and I asked them but they didn't have any answers either. Oh well...until tomorrow.

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#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 19 & 20

2012-01-21T23:57:00.001-06:00

WOW! Only 10 more days? Are you kidding me? I'm almost there! My husband is ready to get back to his cheese. I'm still trying to figure out how to make celery taste good. Guacamole is not working out. Yesterday we had to put our 14 year old dog down. I wanted to dive into a DQ Blizzard to drown my sorrows. I was really close!

I would have gone for the strawberry cheese quake. I got the kids the little mini sized ones just as a treat after karate and basketball. Instead of ice cream I bought fish! I don't like fish at all but I have to start working it into our menu. I thought I grabbed the Salmon but it turned out that I picked up Talapia instead.

We went with this super simple recipe from eHow. It's basically lemon juice the heck out of it!

I think I might have only eaten one because for me it was a super soft texture and I didn't know what to make of it. It started to stink up my house and that smell is what gets me every single time. I just can't stand that fish smell.

This afternoon I tried those lettuce wraps with turkey meat instead.

The only thing about turkey meat is that it can get dry really quickly. I don't like that part but we ate it and we were happy!

Tonight we tried a Paleo recipe for sweet potato fries. Now if you look at the photo on the recipe site it looks like yummy french fries but the recipe calls for these big wedges. No one really liked them. The taste wasn't bad but they were just kind of mushy. My husband will most likely end up eating the rest because he will eat just about anything.

I tried to fix them by cutting them into thinner pieces and sticking them back in the oven to get crunchy but I was not successful. Oh well....until tomorrow.

The End of a Pack

2012-01-20T13:26:00.000-06:00

Most people thought we were crazy! Why do you need four dogs? We didn't need four dogs they came into our lives at different times. It started with the two sisters Alex is at the bottom and Toni is at the top. We lost Alex after 2 years because she ran out in front of a car. She was my pick from the litter. We lost Max the terrier and Sam the black lab within a couple of months apart in 2010 of sickness They were both 12 years old. Toni was the last one left and man was it hard to let her go. She was 14 years old. Her hips had arthritis, she couldn't see or hear very well and worst of all her mind was starting to go. She would walk in a big circle all around the house over and over. We would let her out, make sure she had food and water but she just kept walking. We would take her in for cortisone shots in her hips to keep her comfortable. We thought maybe it just hurt to lay down but she just kept walking in circles until she was just so tired. We knew what had to be done but then it was Christmas time and we just couldn't do it.

Today was finally the day we had to let her go. Our wonderful "co-parent" as my husband called her. She was wonderful with our kids...

I have hundreds of photos I could share but I think you get the idea. And there you have it, the end of a pack.

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 17 & 18

2012-01-19T20:33:00.000-06:00

Being on the go is one of the hardest parts of the challenge. I'm running errands and in stores and they have those displays right there by the check out and normally I would ignore them but when you're this far in some days it's hard. We were at Academy and there they were.....

An entire line of Jelly Bellys! I LOVE them but wait there's more....

Sports Beans!!!!! My absolute favorite. That cashier must have thought I had lost my mind. I'm there taking pictures and drooling. "Mam do you want to buy one?" "No! I can't." rofl.... it's hard to resist some days. I don't have any new recipes to share right now because I'm basically starting to eat the same stuff over and over.
On this day I had to go run more errands and I was running out of time and I was on the go and then....

I saw this restaurant. I have never been there but all of a sudden it looked really good to me. Up to this point I had not had any protein. I was getting fussed at on Facebook so I knew I better get some protein in for dinner.

I made steak and chicken! Now I have left overs so it will be easier to for the next day. Plus I chop up what I can so when I do need to grab something I can.

Now if I could just figure out how to make a piece of celery taste good!

#WordlessWednesday - Best Family Dog Ever!

2012-01-18T10:22:00.000-06:00

Toni is fourteen years old now and she isn't well. She hasn't been for a while and it's coming to the point for us to be humane and let her go. She's been so wonderful to us and our children. I just wanted to capture a moment with her while I still can.

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#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 15 & 16

2012-01-17T21:57:00.000-06:00

Boy am I learning a thing or two about smoothies! Goodness. I'm making them often. This right here is a strawberry smoothie! Since I have chocolate, strawberry and vanilla flavored protein I try to mix it up.
Strawberry Smoothie Recipe:
2 scoops strawberry flavored protein powder
1 Banana
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
3-4 Ice cubes (My freezer will dispense crushed ice so I use that)
1/2 cup water
Blend and there you have it......

Yummy goodness!

I'm a little behind because I'm doing the solo parenting thing this week. It's hard to keep up but I'm doing my best. Never thought I would say this but I'm so sick of pork and I'm a bit sick of meat in general. This was after eating pork chop left overs and making up some bacon wrapped asparagus. I made sausage for the kids so yea, I'm over the pig right now! lol
Today I tried the wonderful world of Taco Lettuce Wraps! It's the closest thing to Tex-Mex that I can get to right now. I'm seriously craving some real tacos or enchiladas or chips and queso. Paleo is tough stuff when you have been eating the same way for 30+ years. 30 Days cleans out your system but it's not like you don't miss what you have been eating. It's comfort food! I'm pretty sure a lot of this will stay but I don't think I'm a hardcore Paleo fan. I think I could eat cleaner but if I don't get my meals on time.....whoa I'm super angry, annoyed and hard to be around until I can eat. Back to the recipe!

Normally I will use that package of Taco seasoning right there! But if you read the ingredients you will find it's NOT Paleo....so I broke out what I could find in the ingredients and added it to my meat along with one tomato!

Roll that meat up in a giant piece of lettuce and there you have it! That is by far the fastest easiest Paleo recipe I have made so far. I didn't break this out on the kids yet. I made the last box of taco shells for them and these for me. Then added some carrots and a spinach shake to the meal so we could all get our veggie quota in for the day!

I got into a smaller size pair of jeans but the excitement quickly faded when that muffin top effect happened. I had to take them off. Maybe that will look better in 14 more days! lol - People that haven't seen me in a while seem to notice a big difference. I don't have that puffy face going on. I don't have that bloated tummy pouch going on either. Sweet! I'll take it. During some of my Mamavation posts I write the pros and cons of the Paleo Challenge according to me!

Thanks to those of you that feel my pain cooking those three meals a day and all the washing and prep work that goes into it! For those of you thinking I need to add more pros to my list if I simply sit down and think about it longer....my question is Are you doing the Paleo Challenge? Have you done the Paleo Challenge? Is this how you live your life? Because if you are unable to answer yes to any one of those questions then maybe you need to try it and see what kind of Pros you can come up with on your own. :)

It is possible that I need more tools in my toolbox. I've never eaten this way. It's possible that when I tried it before it wasn't prepared in a way that agreed with my taste buds. The challenge basically strips your pallet and it's like you get a whole new one! Things start to taste good that didn't before. lol - Go figure.

My Mom came over and I wasn't going to have coffee because the detox was so horrible I didn't want to start it back up again but that's really what I bought the Almond milk for.

I'll stick to no coffee. The challenge hasn't changed my pallet enough to convince me that this works instead of cream and sugar! lol - See you next time. Only 14 more days.....

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#Mamavation Monday - Results are Here!

2012-01-16T15:31:00.000-06:00

Results are in and whoa do they stink! When I did the challenge the first time I started out at 45.1 total body fat and after the challenge it was 41.3 and that was a 6 week challenge. This time it's for 90 days and the beginning nearly a year later is 42.7. What does this tell me? It's all in the kitchen baby. I think it would have been awesome to actually have the scan before we started the Paleo challenge. Right now we are right in the middle so who knows what that number looked like 14 days ago. Also it's been 2 weeks since I've actually had a work out or run or walk or anything because I'm STILL on the injured list. Only 3 weeks till the 1/2 marathon and that dream is quickly fading. My back still has issues. I did try a modified wod yesterday and it was tough for me but I finished. The point is right now my mind can tell my body to do anything. This is how I got here. My mind just said finish, not pay attention to form. There are so many things to think about when you are working out. I could be at the gym and I could be running but not without pain and not without back tracking. That is what I'm trying to avoid. I need a full recovery.

We are into week three of the 30 Day Paleo Challenge.

My pinterest board is getting repinned like crazy with people looking for recipes. I know how that is because it's tough stuff trying to do this three times a day, every single day. The Whole 30 is something that I'm actually doing while on Paleo! I didn't know until a few tweets were exchanged and then I read up on it. Paleo will allow for some honey and other little cheats here and there BUT the way our challenge is structured we are basically doing Whole 30 rather than just Paleo, so that's pretty awesome too.

Pros: Lost 10 pounds, still trying new recipes, have a Cuisenart, I know to eat a more balanced plate of food and I know that there will be some changes at the end of the 30 days.

Cons: I thought detox was over but some days I find myself getting dizzy, could be not enough calories?, the dishes are overwhelming, there is a lot time spent in the kitchen, it's tough to resist and you will find my Twitter feed filled with twitpics of things that I'm resisting on a daily basis! What I'm dealing with is reality. There is no candy coating it at all. This is hard. I thought the burpee challenge was hard, HAH! This is way more challenging for me. Today I wanted to just chuck it all but overall it's not in me to quite. So I will put on my big girl panties and soldier on.

Still working on: Operation: Humpty Dumpty

Eating out:

Pomodorras

My Work Outs this past week-

12/26 Monday - Injured

12/27 Tuesday - Injured

12/28 Wednesday - Injured

12/29 Thursday - Injured

12/30 Friday - Injured

12/31 Saturday - Injured

1/1 Sunday - Mobility WOD Crossfit

Scale Reading - 5 pound loss again this week.

Stress Level -HIGH - Frustrated with this injury still. Feel the pressure of not being able to run this next race that I already paid for. My husband is on the road again.

The UP side- Found a doctor who has actually helped relieve a ton of the pain! I still have more work to do though.

A bit of inspiration for you ladies!
Remember - YOU are a role model.

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

The long term goal 37 pounds by the end of the year.
The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month.

January 172
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

5 Fingers of Thanks

2012-01-15T13:40:00.000-06:00

1.) Thankful for another fun filled Parent's Night Out!
2.) Thankful to be on Day 14 of the Paleo Challenge it's not an easy task.
3.) Thankful that I'm making progress in healing. I'm not fully recovered yet but I'm feeling better!
4.) Thankful to have the opportunity to have a body scan so I can tell how I'm doing with my fitness goals.
5.) Thankful to those of you that stop by to read and comment! Thanks.

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 13 & 14

2012-01-15T08:56:00.001-06:00

Being on Paleo feels like a constant test. I made my little people some waffles for breakfast. These were the two that were left over. I wanted to eat them and normally I would but obviously these are NOT on the list because they taste fantastic and they have butter and syrup. Instead I had scrambled eggs and bacon. Then off to Sam's Club we went and as soon as we walked in the door there is this huge display!

Nothing but baked goods for the game. Seriously!

For lunch I'm trying this recipe for avocado stuffed meatloaf by Heather Jackson.

1 1/2 lb of ground beef (hamburger meat)
1 tbs minced garlic
salt & pepper (to taste)
parsley (for color)
2 eggs
* mix together roll out on plastic wrap place sliced Avocado in the middle then roll into a cylinder) make sure all avocado is covered with meat.
bake in oven @ 350* for 20 min flip bake another 15 min

I had too many avocados! I had to take some of them out so they would fit.

It looks good and it smells good but the avocados were bland. Maybe I did something wrong?

I had to do something with all those left over sliced avocados so I found this smoothie recipe.

Avocado Shake

Makes 2-3 servings.

1 ripe avocado
2 cups of almond milk (or other milk of your choice)
Tablespoon of honey (more or less, to taste)
Handful of ice

Toss one cup of milk, avocado, ice and a bit of the sweet stuff into a blender or Magic Bullet. Gradually add more milk until you have the right consistency, and more honey until you have the right balance of flavours.

That recipe didn't work out for me at all. I can't use honey! So I added a banana, a hand full of almonds and used vanilla flavored almond milk. That did the trick and boy did it hit the spot. Whoo Hoo!

For dinner I had this salad but I didn't eat those little pieces of bread on the side there. It's weird trying to eat Paleo at a restaurant. You just have to make a few adjustments here and there. This was ordered without the cheese too. The chicken was NOT very good at all. It was pretty dry and over cooked. Oh well.

Meanwhile my friends were enjoying this pizza across from me. I wanted to rip my face off! lol

And here is where the points came in, the wine. We get to go out one night a month and I went into this challenge knowing that I would be earning points for this evening.

It's Sunday and I had to cook up an egg before church and had that meat loaf for lunch and then we went to a birthday party! There I was surrounded by chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cupcakes, pizza, cheese dip & chips and lots of candy. Talk about HARD!!! My kids had a free for all. I mean they just ate and ate. I felt sort of like a jerk, sorry no yummy goodness for me I'm on the Paleo diet. lol - Whatever! Any way I had to have something sweet after being surrounded by all that so I went for Heather Jackson's Mango Ice cream recipe:
cut up and pureed 2 mangos, add 1/2 c almond milk and freeze

I had to modify the recipe because all I had were frozen mangos. Maybe they aren't as sweet. I had to doctor the recipe and add vanilla flavored almond milk so make it sweeter and I through in some sliced almonds. We froze it and me and my husband ate it ALL. It was super yummy. That's all I have for you be back tomorrow!

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#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 12

2012-01-13T18:59:00.002-06:00

Oh yea! Right off the bat the donuts are laid out on a table before me. It was Mornings with Mom breakfast at school. Seriously? It's Shipleys Donuts! Come on but the thought of them was so much better than the reality. Truth be told, by the time I got up there to grab mine they were cold. I wasn't missing out on anything. If I weren't an honest woman I could have folded that sucker up in a napkin brought it home and nuked it for 10 seconds in the microwave. Obviously I thought about it. Instead I split mine between my three peeps and they were happy. Meanwhile my tummy was rumbling. When I got home I had to cook me up a breakfast STAT! A Paleo breakfast that is.....

During one of my errands this morning I passed this massive M&M display. It's that purple bag there on the top that caught my eye. It's raspberry something or other. Just the thought. Man I would love to have a freaking M&M right now! Just when you think all the cravings and the detox part is over BAM!!! You get thrown a day like today where you just want to chuck it all and give in. Deep breath. It's been a rough day, one with high emotions which doesn't make this any easier for me.

The silver lining for me today is this Spinach Smoothie.

It doesn't look very good does it? Thank goodness it tastes great.

Look! Not only is it kid approved...

The dog approves too! She went digging in the trash to get that straw. It was a ~~Kodak~~ Cannon moment!

Spinach Smoothie:

1 cup Spinach
1 cup water
1 cup crushed ice or 3-4 cubes of ice
1 banana
1/2 cup mixed fruit (I'm an HEB frozen mixed fruit junkie.)
Turn on your blender and BAM! Yummy goodness. Just be a grown up and get past the color.

For dinner: Pork chops, asparagus and an apple for dessert.

I miss pizza, tacos and popcorn! I'm sure none of that is good for me but I'm having some serious issues today. My head aches and I just want more flavor. All I can do is get some sleep and try again tomorrow. Almost forgot, I'm down another pound. I seriously need to drink more water though.

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Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

2012-01-13T00:00:00.002-06:00

#Aloha Friday 277 - Eating Habits

2012-01-13T00:00:00.000-06:00

I'm in Day 12 here in the land of Paleo. I thought I would include a fun flowchart in case your not familiar with this way of eating.

This got me to thinking....

Have you tried any new kinds of ways to eat like Paleo, Primal, Vegan etc., How did it go for you?

Kailani at An Island Life has created this really fun idea. If you are interested in joining in, please visit her site for more details. Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 11

2012-01-12T20:20:00.000-06:00

Maybe this 30 day challenge isn't so bad after all. That engineer husband of mine decided that we needed the proper tools to help speed along the the prep time for these recipes. SCORE! Hello Cuisinart, let's play. Look at all the fun things this sucker can do. I'm excited to get started using it.

First up! That blueberry and almond smoothie recipe I found in that Men's Health Magazine. Here's the recipe:
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1 cup blueberries
1 cup almonds
1 cup vanilla flavored almond milk
1 cup water
3-4 cubes of ice
I had to use my Ninja because I wasn't ready to break out the Cuisineart due to time constraints.

The flavor was really good but it was a watery smoothie. I'm not a fan of the consistency. I put a banana in it and blended it again but it didn't help. I even put it in the freezer for a while, but then it was just an icy drink. I most likely will skip this one in the future. It's probably a good thing because 1 cup of almonds is a LOT of calories.

Next up! Trying out Zesty Cilantro Lime Roasted Chicken but since I don't have chicken I'm using turkey. After going through the recipe I realize I'm missing a few items like the garlic and the green onion. I also don't have the cast iron pan. I threw it in any way!

Um, Wayne????? Not as bad as the apple banana muffins but certainly a runner up for When Recipes Go Bad! the first edition. Geez! The flavors might be there but I didn't get that crisp thing going on and maybe that's what makes the taste. Right now it's like I just cooked frozen spinach on top. :P Not a fan. Oh well at least we got to mix up the limes and cilantro in the new toy.

Downside - I spend a LOT of time washing all this stuff. The dishwasher is full. Both sides of the sink are full and the counter is full of stuff that has to be hand washed. Lame! Some days it's worth it but with that turkey dish, not so much. Oh well...until tomorrow.

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All The Kings Horses and All The Kings Men....

2012-01-11T22:01:00.000-06:00

I'm in the land of needing a little more than a foam roller and some stretches. What I thought to be just a simple lumbar sprain due to an improper handstand has turned out to be so much more.

As it turns out my problem plain and simple has turned out to be bad form. There is a wonderful part of Crossfit where mentally you can push yourself through lots of things. You begin to learn the difference between soreness and pain. If you have followed me you know I would throw in A LOT of running and some Taebo classes too.

It looks like all those work outs finally caught up with me in the worst way. What started as one thing has caused a domino effect in my entire body. Now I sit here doing nothing. No walking, running, Taebo or Crossfit right now. My body was in bad shape and I was ready to go to the hospital and get some drugs just to stop the pain. I didn't care. I just needed it to stop. I had been to two different chiropractors and they had the right diagnosis but the pain wasn't going away. I was getting worse and now I'm on my third chiropractor. Thank goodness I didn't give up because I'm on my way back but I have NO idea how long it will take to have a full recovery.

So what is the point? The point is if you are into fitness or consider yourself to be a an athlete regardless of the sport make sure to take preventive measures. Don't ignore that discomfort, it could turn into something so much more serious. Did I stretch? Did I warm up? Did I use proper technique? Did I cool down? Yes but not all the time. I know I didn't stretch before every run or every Taebo class. I know that I didn't always use good form when running or doing Crossfit. Some days the fatigue will get to you and you just push through. I'm paying for all of these mistakes right now. It might not be so bad had I maintained my engine a little more rather than addressing things when they reached the "pain" level. This year is supposed to be my year of becoming "Pain Free!" My trainer and I discussed this at length especially after the burpee challenge.

Now I have no choice but to focus on being pain free and doing whatever the doctor tells me to do and easing back into the picture slowly and carefully. Between my doctor, trainer and massage therapist I will be back, oh yes! I will be back. When? That still remains to be seen. Ice is basically my best friend right now. If I could sit in one of those troughs with ice water, I would. Just to stop all of it.

It is my hope that I don't become the "Poster Child" for bad form. I'm thankful that we have a trainer that shows us "proper form" every single time we work out. He doesn't care if we have seen it a thousand times, he's going to show you any way. Some days you can just get caught up in the work out. It happens.

So what about the 1/2 marathon I'm suppose to run in 4 weeks? Your guess is as good as mine.

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#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 10

2012-01-11T21:01:00.000-06:00

Today I was in HEB picking up some Kale for this new recipe I wanted to try. This was after a doctor visit and I was pretty depressed and in pain. All I wanted to do was bury myself right here in the baked goods section so I could feel better. I'm sure it would have made me sick but this just shows my issue of tying my emotions with food. Some times it helps if I just take a photo because it passes pretty quickly when I know it's a bad idea and I'm going to write about it. My physical situation has got me down. I can't release any stress and I'm walking around in pain. Even though I'm resting as much as I can and I'm on ice and heat in between all the treatment it still stinks with a capital S. It's been 42 days and counting. Let's talk Kale!

Today for breakfast I had one of those yummy protein shakes and while I was waiting for treatment I found another protein shake I want to try tomorrow in a Men's Health magazine. For a snack to go with my hamburger patty topped with guacamole I wanted to try Lori's recipe for Kale Chips. It seemed easy enough.

I think my bundle of Kale is more than the recipe. I was able to divide it up between two bowls!

I had to put it into two pans because it was overlapping.

Do not put aluminum foil on your pan because it doesn't cook properly. The other batch did and it was so yummy! I was super surprised and so was my family. I need to tweak my recipe a bit but I will make it again! Until tomorrow....only 20 more days left.

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#WordlessWednesday - Lego Tree House

2012-01-11T00:00:00.000-06:00

It's a Lego tree house! He helped her build it and now she is happy. Ah, that's what big brothers are for. :)

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 9

2012-01-10T19:58:00.000-06:00

Let's get into the REALITY part of the Paleo Challenge! I'm at Walgreens picking up a heat patch and I'm walking through two different aisles of Valentine's Day temptations. I had to snap a shot before I fled the store.

Seriously! It's hard to pass up a piece of candy. I love it! Love the hard candy, the chocolate candy, you name it! Candy and I are just two peas in one pod. Although I miss popcorn more. I don't think I could set foot in a movie theater right now.

Later the same day it was time to pick up some more olive oil. I knew as soon as we went in that it was going to be tough with her. Look at her! She's so proud of herself. She found some cookies and a lunch item she wanted to buy like her friend has at school. Ugh! That face. "No Silly, put it back it's not on Mommy's list." That worked until we got to the aisle with the rainbow colored Gold Fish crackers! She found the box, "Mommy, Rexy likes these! I want them for him." Nicely played, go in for the brother and maybe I will say yes. "No Silly, put it back it's not on Mommy's list." She didn't comply. In fact she hugged that box all the way to the cashier and put it up on the counter for purchase. I told the cashier, "We're not buying that." She looked at Silly and then she looked at me, puzzled and confused just waiting for me to change my mind. I proceeded to pay and Silly did not throw a tantrum but instead hung her head and pouted. Oh gut wrenching!

She tries to hide sucking on her fingers and she's just sad and trying to appease herself. This is the hardest part about Paleo. So why not get it? It's just a box of crackers and I've been buying them for years. Because I know that in a weak moment it's possible that those could end up in my mouth. Besides I really would like to find the healthiest alternatives for them. It takes a long time to detox. I'm sure my kids are feeling some of it too.

This is floating around Facebook and I thought it was appropriate to share because it is the easiest way to explain Paleo! It's pretty much full proof.

Since I have egg burn out and saw some smoothie recipes floating around Facebook I thought I would experiment. One scoop of protein (vanilla flavored), 1/2 cup mixed fruit, 1 cup ice, 1 banana and 1 cup Almond milk (vanilla flavored) blend and there you have what tastes like a milk shake. It's creamy so it reminds you of ice cream. I really liked it! I'm not really sure if I used a whole cup of that milk but really you can't go wrong. Yummy!

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#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 8

2012-01-09T21:23:00.001-06:00

It's what's for lunch. I guess my husband found a sale on steaks so I had to cook them. They tasted yummy and we have a lot of left overs now. They were paired nicely with this wonderfully steamed broccoli. My Twitter Mamavation buddies said try some olive oil, pepper, garlic salt and toss it after it's steamed.

It was so yummy! My lunch plans were spoiled by the rain so I served it up for dinner for the family after they got home because I was on my way out the door for lots of fix-her-up appointments.

Since I didn't get to eat lunch I had to come up with a whole new idea for dinner before my red and green pepper went bad. They are called omelet muffins. They were very easy to make and the only thing that was really time consuming was dicing those peppers up. What's cool is that you can really toss any veggie/veggies that you want.

You can either grease your pan with coconut oil or use the baking cups. I wanted to share them with my little guy so I opted for the cups.

The cups do not separate from the pan or the actual cooked ingredient that well. It's ok, I still think they are worth sharing.

While they were in the oven I threw more broccoli in there but this time added some cayenne pepper. Whoa! That's got some kick.

There you have it! It's my dinner. It doesn't look like much but it sure did fill my tummy (add a green apple - not photographed, it was eaten while I was cooking). I'm starting to snack a lot less. The whole group seems to be. It's almost like we are all starting to balance out. I spend a lot more time in the grocery store, cooking and cleaning up the kitchen. It's crazy over here but it's getting easier and different foods are starting to taste better. Until tomorrow....

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#Mamavation Monday - Back To The Scanning Board!

2012-01-09T08:44:00.000-06:00

It's back! My super awesome Crossfit gym is bringing back the Body Composition 90 Day challenge. Last year I brought home the trophy for the ladies. *Big Grins* This year the winners will win a trip for 2. Seriously? I have to get fixed quick so I can compete! My back injury came back in full force after I started running again. It's all in both of my legs and now my feet. It's too long to have an injury and not only am I over it but I'm pretty sure everyone around me is over it too. What does that mean for the 1/2 marathon I'm scheduled to run in 4 weeks? I have no idea. I'm going to try one more option and if that doesn't work I'm pretty sure I'm out. That's gonna mess with me but I can't get worse than I already am. I'm trying to prepare myself to let go. Fingers crossed.

Most of you know I'm finishing up week one of the 30 Day Paleo Challenge.

Pros: Lost 5 pounds, trying new recipes, eating a more balanced plate of food, made it through the detox, I'm adjusting what my kids eat, and what I bring home from the grocery store

Cons: Very expensive, walking on the border line with all these nut ingredients while having a son who is allergic (he doesn't get anything that has that ingredient), no more quick trips to the grocery store, there is a lot of extra research and prep work that goes into every meal because it's a new way of cooking

It is a major adjustment but it's also a mind set. It's sort of like working out, once you decide to do it you make the necessary changes to accommodate your life to make it happen. That is the same way in the kitchen. I do see a noticeable difference in my hips and tummy. They are slimming down. I'm losing that bloated belly fat look. Whoot! I'll take it.

Still working on: Operation: Humpty Dumpty

Eating out:

None

My Work Outs this past week-

12/26 Monday - Modified Crossfit

12/27 Tuesday - Injured

12/28 Wednesday - Injured

12/29 Thursday - Modified Crossfit

12/30 Friday - Injured

12/31 Saturday - Injured

1/1 Sunday - Mobility WOD Crossfit

Scale Reading - 5 pound loss.

Stress Level -HIGH - Frustrated with this injury. I just want to get fixed.

The UP side- Trying one more person to help me get fixed.

A bit of inspiration for you ladies!
Remember - YOU are a role model.

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

The long term goal 37 pounds by the end of the year.
The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month.

January 172
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 7

2012-01-08T21:07:00.000-06:00

It's Day 7 Whoo Hoo! That's one whole week of Paleo. Only 23 more days to go and don't think I'm not counting down either. I'm missing popcorn right now and grilled cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Onward and upward right? I'm getting pretty good and fixing my plates now.

After attending the lecture at our Crossfit gym I have my meals and even snacks down to meat, veggie, and a fruit. We ran out of almonds and pecans already so that's pretty much it for the nuts for now. I'm actually eating cucumbers again, bland yes but they are easy to slice and snack on so for breakfast it's a quick egg, cucumber slices and cantaloup! Today was my first church service without coffee. I did it and survived. :) Lunch was not so great because I was on the go a lot today. I think I got a banana and more cucumbers but dinner? WHOA it was like a cooking show up in here!

First up Turkey Spinach Meatballs thanks to Heather Jackson and her awesome recipe. My whole family ate them and it was super easy to make.
Recipe:

2lbs of Turkey
package of frozen Spinach
2 tsp of garlic
2eggs
salt (to taste)
mix together with hands
roll into balls bake in oven for 30 min 350

I'm not going to lie my kids looked at me like I was a little crazy but they are adjusting to trying new things. I had to cut the recipe in half because I didn't buy enough turkey. They loved them and then went on to rave about Heather and sing her praises! So special thanks to Heather for getting us ALL to eat spinach. Who knew? You probably did but I didn't. lol

Then my husband broke out his own recipe for Lemon Chicken using Paleo supplies. You won't find this one online so I'll post his recipe here:

Chicken Thighs

Dip in coconut milk

Put lemon slices under the skin at the top

Salt and Pepper

Poor coconut milk in the bottom of the pan

Cook at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes

Ta Da! It's yummy goodness but of course I had to take the skin off because I don't think we are supposed to eat that part. lol - Can you see the shape of the lemon slice under the skin? Yes, he threw a few on top too but it is inside the chicken. We didn't give this one to our little guy. He was super sad but this is really for us to get through lunch during the week. I don't want to risk the coconut milk and his allergies.

Next up! Bacon wrapped Asparagus -

I broke out the George Foreman Grill for this one. I cooked it a lot more to make the bacon crispy. My kids actually liked this too. What?! Seriously, that's probably the first time they have willingly eaten asparagus. Please don't tell me that I took all the nutrients out by doing this because if that is the case I might never be able to get asparagus down. Like I said before, if you can make it taste good then I will eat it! :)

Whoo Hoo! - I can tell you this, since starting the challenge I'm down another pound this morning. That's a total of four pounds. I have worked out maybe twice. I'm not burning near the calories that I normally do because I'm injured, still. That's another story all together. But what I'm saying is that the whole notion of 80% of your abs is in the kitchen and 20% is working out, is really being put to the test. I'm happy that we are trying new things. A challenge is just that, a challenge! You have to do that for yourself to break out of your comfort zone. It's not a bad thing. The hardest part is sticking with it. Failure is met when there is inconsistency. Right? ...till tomorrow.

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5 Fingers of Thanks

2012-01-08T20:21:00.000-06:00

1.) Thankful to have held the grape juice for communion today.
2.) Thankful that we are totally experimenting with cooking over here thanks to the Paleo Challenge.
3.) Thankful to find that my problems are not my shoes.
4.) Thankful to have such an awesome church family.
5.) Thankful for unexpected visitors! It always makes the day more fun.

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Days 5 & 6

2012-01-07T12:22:00.003-06:00

Really? It's only day six! Insert deep breath and move right along. OK - lot's of recipes to share. The first one was sort of a late night must bake something sort of moment. Also, the boy who is allergic to nuts was already in bed so he wouldn't be odd man out. We tried Apple and Banana Muffins (click hyperlink for the recipe).

My son is just goofing off here!

Our home smelled so good! The wonderful aroma of apples. We couldn't wait to take a bite! Oh and when we did....GAK!!! These things were awful. Did I do something wrong? Did I mess something up in the recipe? People are raving about these things. To me, I just wasted a perfectly good apple and banana. I might have gotten more flavor from eating a piece of cardboard. Maybe I just have picky taste buds. On that note I gave one to my husband without saying a word. Remember, they do smell delicious! He took a bite and looked at me like I was trying to poison him! He wrapped a piece of bacon around it in order to get it down. But hey, we certainly did give it a try.

This next recipe was shared on our Facebook group (Daniel LeSage).

4 bananas (mashed)
1 cup of coconut flakes
Cinnamon to taste

Mix it all together and place in in the fridge or even the freezer until to desired temp

I cut this recipe down for one banana. After those muffins I have learned to test the waters a little bit more carefully without using so much ingredients. The flavors are not bad but the consistency is a bit like baby food. I had to slice up more bananas to put into it and tried to freeze it a bit just because I like it really cold. Next up Cinnamon apples!

Pretty easy recipe again from our Facebook group (Liane Colley):

Core and roughly chop apples, sauté in coconut oil for a few minutes then add some cinnamon. Pour the pan juices over the apples. Yum!

She's right! They are pretty darn good. So for those of you trying to figure out what to do with that left over coconut oil you can try it.

My son said he really misses Ranch Dressing and I found this recipe online. I don't think it's supposed to have the consistency of soup! :(

Back to the drawing board we go! Only 24 more days to go. You know what I miss? I miss cheese! I miss Mexican food. I miss pasta like crazy. I can't go down the list of things I miss or I will be sad. I just have to focus on how good this is for my body. Right? So far I've only gained 3 points for that silly piece of peppermint candy! I think I can keep going. I'm certainly spending a boat load more time in the kitchen. I think I need more supplies though, like a food processor? We're checking into the Magic Bullet. Now it's time for a nap!

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Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

2012-01-05T23:00:00.001-06:00

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 4

2012-01-05T20:25:00.000-06:00

Hello world! I'm finally feeling human today. No tummy aches or headaches. Is it possible that the detox part is over? That was ridiculously unpleasant. It's safe to be around me now, resume your regularly scheduled program folks.

A couple of things that I have noticed since this challenge has begun, my teeth are whiter. What's up with that? Also my grocery bill has gone through the roof! I'm really worried that I won't have any money at the end of the month. It's just not cheap! Every time I read a new recipe I need something new from the grocery store. Oh and those quick runs to the grocery store no longer exist because I'm searching for these products that clearly I've never had to find before. What's up with these items? Well, I really wanted to try this recipe for apple banana muffins! They look good but how do they taste? Stay tuned...

Breakfast went well, eggs, raisins, carrots and a banana. I'm a grab and go type of person so a lot of these are easy to eat. I don't have a lot of time to sit for a meal. After going to Crossfit today and talking with my good friend Katina she told me where to find that "Nitrate Free" bacon! I was on the hunt so for lunch....

I finally got to taste the yummy goodness of the Bacon Guacamole Sammies! I think I might know why this stuff tastes so awesome, it's because you're flipping hungry! Never in my wildest dreams would I have put these items together on my own. But I promise they will be on the menu from now on because I'm hooked.

Now I couldn't get my little peeps to eat it this way but this little guy here gave the bacon the kid seal of approval. The one on that plate is the only one I got to eat because the little ~~crumb snatcher~~ darling boy ate the rest of the bacon that I made!

You know that dreaded question, What's for dinner? I'm struggling with that one daily. I mean I really have to sit there and focus on what to feed everyone. So tonight for dinner it was steak...

These green beans which luckily, thanks to my Twitter Mamavation buddies I was able to make this taste pretty good. How? Lemon juice (squeezed from a lemon) garlic salt and pepper. Not too much juice or it will over power them. Sadly my kids struggled to eat them. I have to get better.

Then we had this steamed Mediterranean blend of frozen veggies. I tried some Mrs. Dash and pepper but GAK!!!! YUK!!!! Must get better at this..... All of us (minus my husband) picked out the carrots and left the rest. ROFL!!!....must get better. I'm trying, really I am.

My husband and I were talking to our oldest boy and I was telling him what a bad mother I was for not feeding him better. He had been listing off all the stuff he misses. Then he said, "It's OK, ruin me!" Sorry but I just had to laugh.

Dear Veggies,
By the time this is over I will have conquered you.

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From My Inbox - Ideas To Make Life Easier

2012-01-05T14:55:00.002-06:00

My Mom just email this to me and I had to share because they are some really good tricks and tips! Enjoy....

Why didn’t I think of that?! We guarantee you’ll be uttering those words more than once at these ingenious little tips, tricks and ideas that solve everyday problems.

Hull strawberries easily using a straw.

Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes.

Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or computer screen with WD40.

Stop cut apples browning in your child’s lunch box by securing with a rubber band.

Overhaul your linen cupboard, store bed linen sets inside one of their own pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match.

Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone & iPod in a bowl. The concave shape amplifies the music.
Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags.

Add this item to your beach bag. Baby powder gets sand off your skin easily, who knew?!
Attach a Velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys.

Use wire to make a space to store gift wrap rolls against the ceiling, rather than cluttering up the floor.

Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a stocking over the vacuum hose.

Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting crosses into a box lid.

For those who can’t stand the scrunching and bunching: how to perfectly fold a fitted sheet.

Forever losing your bathroom essentials? Use magnetic strips to store bobby pins, tweezers and clippers, behind a vanity door
Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty soles rubbing on your clothes. And you can find them in just about every hotel.

A muffin pan becomes a craft caddy. Magnets hold the plastic cups down to make them tip-resistant.

Bread tags make the perfect cord labels.

Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones, so much more fun and easier for kids to eat.

Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper bag. Much healthier and cheaper than the packet stuff.

Install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles.

Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the top and voila, you have cookie bowls for fruit or ice-cream.

Freeze Aloe Vera in ice-cube trays for soothing sunburn relief.

Create a window-box veggie patch using guttering.

Use egg cartons to separate and store your Christmas decorations.

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#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 3

2012-01-04T20:20:00.001-06:00

It's been tough getting sleep because there doesn't seem to be a comfortable sleeping position that exists for me right now. The morning greeted me with nausea and there was no way getting out of bed seemed like a good idea. That left me getting a late start getting ready and getting my baby girl off to pre-k. In my hurry, like a lot of moms I used the grab and go method of eating which was a handful of almonds and a banana. There was no time to cook because my appointment to get my back worked on was right after. Afterward all that messing around with my pain, all I wanted to do was not move but there was an apple waiting for me so that was my snack. The next thing I knew I was passed out on the couch and then it was time to pick her up from school! GAK! For lunch I ended up with some left over guacamole and beef jerky. Thank God! Next up dinner and that is the trick. My husband tried the George Forman Grill for chicken but he over cooked it. Luckily I was cooking the rest of it in on the stove. How do you make cucumbers taste good? My kids are shocked and confused. It's hard because I end up preparing food two different ways for them and for me. They get the broccoli and cheese but I just get the broccoli. I tried passing off the guacamole as a dip for the carrots but only one out of three went for it. I'm posting all of my food in the Facebook group and apparently I'm not taking in enough calories today. Well, it's hard to prepare all of this stuff when you are having a hard time standing much less cooking. It would have been so easy to cave and call in a pizza! Yesterday my husband was talking about his 2 pound loss per day which was a bit annoying but yet it inspired me to go ahead and weigh in this morning. To my surprise there was a three pound loss since Monday. That's enough to keep me going even with the mad detox situation.

This is one of the smoothie recipes shared with me by a fellow member. It's 1 scoop whey protein powder, 1 avocado, 1/2 cup blueberries, 8 whole strawberries and 1 cup coconut milk. I tried to get most of it down but it was pretty chalky tasting. Must be the protein powder?

After dinner my eldest son revolted and found some holiday cookie dough mix and made a batch of cookies! WOW - It's ok because it will all be gone within the thirty days. It's an adjustment that is for sure. I don't think they will be going through serious detoxing because they have been falling back on the school cafeteria.

My other son has a peanut/tree nut allergy. I haven't tried any of the recipes because of the ingredients in many of the Paleo recipes. It would leave me cooking two separate meals. I'm trying to combine Paleo with what I already have in the house. For example I will make the meat and veggies and just throw in some sort of extra stuff to keep the peeps happy like mashed potatoes, mac-n-cheese or baked beans. I'm trying to make us all happy while still complying with the challenge. It's not easy. I have emailed a lot of people that are all about Paleo to find out if there are substitutes for the almond/coconut ingredients. So far no luck! I'll just be happy when the detox part is over. I am experience head aches, severe mood swings, some times dizziness or sort of like being in a fog...it's weird. I'm extremely tired and very low on energy. I'm just going to keep going and see how this plays out!

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#WordlessWednesday - Puppy Love

2012-01-04T07:56:00.000-06:00

She absolutely adores our dog Leo. She loves on him every chance she gets. Some days a little too much.

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 2

2012-01-03T20:06:00.000-06:00

I survived day one but day two was not very pleasant either. I'm suffering from headaches but I believe that's from the lack of caffeine. My coffee has to have cream and sugar and obviously those are not on the Paleo list. For breakfast we had eggs and my daughter and I shared the orange. She got a piece of toast with jelly that smelled really good. For lunch the menu was a pork chop, carrots and almonds. For snacks I'm basically having some sort of fruit and nuts.

The challenge is really bringing out my weaknesses as a cook. I'm not sure what to do with vegetables as far as making them taste good while still being in compliance with the challenge. Today was a rest day for me due to the severe amount of back and foot pain. However, I did hobble around Wal-Mart in order to pick up supplies. We have a group on Facebook for this challenge. Everyone is posting photos of what they eat and most of it looks really good. It appears as though this is a pretty easy challenge for the Crossfit crew. For me it's a massive struggle. It feels like I'm fighting demons. The withdrawals from caffeine and sugar are the worst.

Where is all that extra energy? I don't feel it. I feel like I'm dragging the planet. Where is that good mood? I feel like people are in danger around me. I'm not pleasant at all. My husband is trying this with me and when I say trying I mean he's eating what I'm eating with a bit of cheese and a Luna bar (Lemon flavored, my favorite!). He's apparently losing two pounds a day by cutting out sugar. Um....Luna bar = sugar! But I'm not bitter. See, I'm just not a happy person right now.

At our Mom's group one of them brought a yummy pumpkin pie! My reaction was so strong that I'm guessing they didn't want to eat it in front of me. I'm sorry. :( You could smell that yummy goodness! The sugar, pumpkin and cinnamon!!! I resisted.

Dinner: Steak, butternut squash and broccoli. The butternut squash was NOT a hit. No one really liked it but it could be my lack of skills for seasoning. Lord knows I'm turning into a Google junkie hunting recipes. I did find one for Guacamole and we did try it and it was soooooooooooooo good!

The point system is getting confusing for me. We are suppose to eat lean meats but there is a lot of bacon and sausage going on. Huh? I don't get it. Then again I have to go back to what my trainer said, if it runs and you can kill it then your good? That might not be his exact words but that is what I remember. lol

For a snack I'm trying a banana, nuts and some green tea. BLAH!!!! Green tea with no honey or any sweetener tastes....like it's not worth drinking! Just stick with the water. I find myself still hungry through out the day. It could be all mental. I'm one of those people that feels better when I eat that yummy chocolate chip cookie because I'm totally stressed out. Now if I could get out and run or hit the gym this might be better but I'm in this horrid cycle of pain right now. Ugh! Maybe day three will be better.

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#Mamavation Monday - New Year, Same Me?

2012-01-02T19:55:00.002-06:00

I'm starting the New Year off with a bang! I'm still the same me but not for long. After 2.5 years of consistent working out, no fast food (except pizza & chick-fil-a) and better food choices the majority of the time I'm still chasing the "Body Fat" monster! Our gym has started the 30 Day Paleo Challenge which I will be blogging about each day. I'm curious to see how it goes. What I can tell you is that I'm sure my body is going to go through some withdrawals, my house is filled with sugar and processed foods. All I did was clean and reorganize and began reading ingredient labels. I have counted calories, kept food journals and nothing has really worked for me yet. I'm hoping that this is going to give me an experience I will never forget! I'm making a few changes from my weekly posts. I'm removing the tools. Most people have their own. I'm keeping the videos because they help keep us ALL focused. As you can see my training this week was a roller coaster mess. I keep trying but my body is clearly ticked off. My lower back is still messed up and one wrong move and I have a set back. My foot is seriously messed up because of my new shoes and I guess I need more form work. I have a pretty heavy running schedule. I'm doing everything I can but clearly after reviewing my work out schedule this week I need to CHILL. That 1/2 marathon feels like it's right around the corner.

Still working on: Operation: Humpty Dumpty

Eating out:
None

My Work Outs this past week-
12/26 Monday - Crossfit WOD (Not Rx)
12/27 Tuesday - Crossfit WOD (Not Rx)
12/28 Wednesday - Incomplete Crossfit WOD, 3.5 Mile Run, 1.5 Mile Walk
12/29 Thursday - 2 Mile Run, Crossfit WOD- Skipped the SWOD but did a non modified work out
12/30 Friday - Modified Crossfit WOD- Bad form for med ball cleans (OUCH!), 1 Mile Run
12/31 Saturday - 5 Mile Run
1/1 Sunday - 4 Mile Run - Reinjured my back pushing kids on bikes. Stupid move!

Scale Reading - 172 to begin the year.

Stress Level -HIGH - Frustrated with this injury and several other things I can't blog about. :(

The UP side- The Paleo Challenge has begin. I expect awesome results.

A bit of inspiration for you ladies!
Remember - YOU are a role model.

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

The long term goal 37 pounds by the end of the year.
The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month.

January 172
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 1

2012-01-02T19:10:00.001-06:00

In order to prepare for the next thirty days there had to be some reorganizing in the refrigerator, freezer, pantry and cabinets. Mainly it was good to basically take inventory to see what was going to be necessary to survive the challenge.

Step 1: The refrigerator! I found three things that I could eat in my refrigerator that would be acceptable for the Paleo challenge. The eggs, meat and a box of strawberries. Everything else is off limits to me. Whoa!

Step 2: The freezer. Thankfully there were more options for me in here. The bags of frozen fruit and that bottom basket there is filled with frozen bags of veggies. Obviously everything else is not on the Paleo list!

Step 3: Organize the cabinets. I can't have ANYTHING in here. This is mainly where the children will live during the challenge.

Step 4: The pantry! I can't have anything in the pantry unless I want to make a protein shake with water. Other than that everything is NO BUENO!

Now I feel like I'm prepared to hit the grocery store for me! What is my plan? I'm only going to buy milk, bread and orange juice for the kids for the next thirty days. Everything else that I buy will be on the Paleo list of things we can all eat. My kids are freaking out! I think there is enough stuff in the house for them to deal with for thirty days. They need to change up their menu just as much as I do. However, I think that by not bringing more stuff in the house and calling it "for the kids" will be less tempting for me and there will be more success with the challenge.

Here are the guidelines:

1. Eat real food – meat, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruit, oils (No vegetable or canola oil). Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re fresh and natural.

2. Do not eat dairy. This includes cheeses (hard and soft)

3. Do not eat grains. This includes bread, rice, pasta, corn (yes, corn is a grain), oatmeal, etc.

4. Do not eat sugars of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Truvia, Stevia, etc.

6. No to processed foods. Pretty much anything in the middle of the grocery store. Can't recognize it growing or running around in the wild? Don't eat it.

7. Do not drink alcohol, in any form. (I know, I know)

Point System
Everyone will starts with 0 points. If you break one of the above guidelines then give yourself a point.

Dairy = 1 point

Peanuts/Processed Protein = 2 points (even a chicken breast from Chili's. These are processed.) Processed means it is fast food meat.

Grains/Processed Crap/Added sweeteners/Alcohol= 3 points

Each point be on a meal by meal basis.

Examples:

Milk in coffee = 1 point
Milk and sugar in coffee = 4 points (1 +3 )

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Peanuts (2), Jelly (3), Bread (3) = 8 points

2 grilled Chicken Breasts + a cup of garlic broccoli + grilled zucchini + an apple = zero points

Day 1:
Breakfast - Scrambled eggs & a banana.
(Went to Chiropractor for traction, grabbed peppermint candy from bowl while I was waiting, should have just blew off the curiosity of bad breath!) 3 point penalty! &*^%

Lunch - Came home from work out husband ate my "Paleo" lunch! Grabbed banana and headed to Whole Foods for nuts. Total waste of my time! Too expensive, too far to drive, ate some pecans on the way home but still hungry! Headed to HEB to get more food.

Dinner - pork chops, carrots, cantaloup (Noticed that the seasoning I was going to use had sugar in it!) Then cleaning out the spices occurred.

Gee - I've been working out for two years and I'm still not dropping weight! Could it be that 95% of the stuff in your house contains sugar or is processed? Just curious. Well for the next 29 days I'm going in and if I earn points along the way so be it, but changes in food consumption really need to occur. I need to arm myself with a heck of a lot more recipes.

Major problem: Most of the recipes have some sort of nut (almond, coconut, etc..) ingredient in them and my son has a peanut/tree nut allergy. I'm just going to have to do more research! The days is almost over and I'm so glad. My head really hurts. I feel full but not satisfied if that makes any sense at all. Stay tuned....

We will be weighing in and taking measurements so we have some sort of idea how this is going.

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5 Fingers of Thanks

2011-12-31T18:00:00.000-06:00

1.) Thankful to be starting a New Year!
2.) Thankful that our New Year's Eve dinner was AWESOME. Expensive but totally worth the trip to Fogo De Chao.
3.) Thankful to get back to our regularly scheduled program.
4.) Thankful I'm killing my running schedule at least for now.
5.) Looking forward to posts about the upcoming Paleo Challenge.

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

2011-12-30T08:25:00.000-06:00

#Mamavation - Wrapping Up The Year

2011-12-26T21:22:00.000-06:00

It's the end of the year. I lost a total of 9 pounds this year. That's right 9 pounds. Not sure what to think about that but it is a loss. I know that this last week has been horrible because of the stress and poor eating. The holidays didn't help either. I'm up for a new challenge though. Our gym is starting the 30 day Paleo challenge. I'm hopeful since most of my battle involves food! Who knows what kind of success is ahead of me. I finally got a 2 mile run in today. It's my first in 23 days! Whoa. I'm getting back on wagon again. I can't wait because all this poor eating is making me feel really BAD. So here is to 2012 and losing a heck of a lot more!

Still working on: Operation: Humpty Dumpty

Eating out:
Chick-Fil-A 12/1
Texas Roadhouse 12/2
Pizza 12/3
Chilis 12/26

My Work Outs this past week-
12/19 Monday - Out with kids
12/20 Tuesday - Out with kids
12/21 Wednesday - Out with kids
12/22 Thursday - Modified Crossfit WOD, Modified Taebo
12/23 Friday - Modified Crossfit WOD
12/24 Saturday - Modified Crossfit WOD
12/25 Sunday - Christmas

Scale Reading -1 pound loss.

Stress Level - Calming down a ton now that my husband is on vacation.

The UP side- I'm refocused.

A bit of inspiration for you ladies!
Remember - YOU are a role model.

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

The long term goal 45 pounds by the end of the year.
The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month.

January 179 - 180 = 1 pound gain
February 180 - 177 = 3 pound loss
March 177 - 176 = 1 pound loss
April 176 - 174 = 2 pound loss
May 173 -173 = 0 pounds lost
June176 - 170 = 6 pound loss
July 170 -172 = 2 pound gain
August 173 - 172 = 1 pound loss
September 173 -171 = 2 pound loss
October 171 - 169 = 2 pound loss
November 172 - 169 = 3 pound loss
December 170 -170 = 0 pounds lost

Secure Your Success
Charting your progress gets you there faster. Try these tools:

Track my weight loss.

Watch my waist get smaller.

Track my walking.
Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

5 Fingers of Thanks

2011-12-25T20:14:00.000-06:00

1.) Thank that it's finally Christmas!

2.) Thankful for my new toy.

3.) Thankful for my new fun socks!

4.) Thankful I got to spend the holiday with all of my favorite people.

5.) Thankful the Paleo Challenge is starting soon. My poor body needs an overhaul from all this holiday food.

12 Day of Christmas, #Crossfit Style

2011-12-24T12:37:00.000-06:00

Tonight we will attend church services and we might open a present or two by the fire but this morning...oh this morning....

There were two classes this morning and my plan was to hit the 8am and go for a group run by 9am. HAH! - I didn't make it for the run. Welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas Crossfit Style. I'm still in recovery so I will post what the work out was and how it was modified for me.

WOD My WOD

12 Air Squats 12 Air Squats

11 Ab Mats 11 Leg Lifts

10 Wall Balls 10 Floor Press (18lbs. 5 each arm)

9 Med Ball Cleans 9 Goblet Squats (18lbs.)

8 KB Swings (35lbs.) 8 KB Cleans (18lbs. 4 each arm)

                                    7 Burpees                                               7 Push Ups (knees)
                                    6 Box Jumps                                           6 Step Ups
                                    5 Dead Lifts (65lbs.)                               5 Dead Lifts (65lbs.)
                                    4 Front Squats (65 lbs.)                          4 Leg Presses
                                    3 Racked Lunges (65 lbs.)                      3 Lunges
                                    2 Thrusters (65 lbs.)                               2 KB Thrusters (18lbs. each arm)
                                    1 Handstand Push Up                             1 Push Up (knees)

What you do is follow the order of the tree. You would do 12 air squats, then 12 air squats and 11 ab mats, then 12 air squats, 11 ab mats, 10 Wall Balls and so on and so on adding to each round. Sounds like pure torture doesn't it? You bet it was! Even the modified version gave me a run for my money. I did mostly ok. My squats were not great and the dead lifts were not a lot of fun but I finished. I'm on my way back. It was frustrating knowing that I was doing a modified version but that's just where I am right now. As for Crossfit, it feels like I'm starting all over. Nearly 4 weeks have past and I'm still nursing this injury. I'm in the gym and I'm making the effort, that should be enough. At least that's what I keep telling myself! Did you get your work out on this Christmas Eve?

Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

2011-12-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

#Aloha Friday 276 - Traditions

2011-12-22T23:59:00.001-06:00

Very close to Christmas Day we pick a day to have my Mother and Grandmother over for dinner and then we all pile up in the van and go look at Christmas lights with the Christmas carols playing on the radio! My kids love it! We love it to and this got me to thinking....

What's your favorite Holiday tradition?

How To Keep Those Little People Occupied

2011-12-22T20:59:00.000-06:00

Are you at home with the kids while they are out of school for the Christmas holiday? Need some tips to keep those brains and little hands occupied? Here are a few to choose from that we have been trying here in our home.

Give them some rakes! They can do a little yard work if it's nice outside.

Dress them up and take your chances on getting one good shot for a Christmas card!

Have them help wrap presents! One can cut, one can tape while the other tags and bows!

Break out the game boards and puzzles.

A laundry basket and a flash light allows them to pretend they are camping in a tent!

They can capture each other in the dog crate. Make sure it's a big one.

Have a guest over and make sure they don't let them leave without a fight!

Play peek a boo with the dog.

Let them dress up the dog up like a reindeer.

Try the bucket style laundry baskets so they can pretend to be turtles.

Creative little bunch! And to think there are only 13 days left of Christmas vacation. Who knows what they will come up with next. Stay tuned...

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Paleo Challenge 2012 - Marking My Calendar

2011-12-22T00:00:00.004-06:00

The following is a Facebook Event by Heather Jackson member of Crossfit Unity.

"Looking for a New Year's resolution? Look no further...go Paleo for 30 days! See how you change. The challenge starts on Monday, January 2nd and goes till February 2nd.

Many people have been asking Carcará about the way he has been eating mostly over the past year; known as Paleo. So, this January we have decided on holding our own Paleo Challenge at the academy. This is a way to raise awareness of how our bodies feel and perform with and without certain foods. It also is a way of introducing people to information on Paleo and offering a support group throughout the challenge. Anyone is free to join, whether you are part of the academy or not. We'd like to see as many of you as possible giving this a go. The more people we have, the more support everyone will get!

So...are you in?

Here’s the basic rundown on the challenge, again, first and foremost it’s for awareness – awareness of how our bodies feel and perform with and without certain foods. That’s the most important aspect of this month.

30 days of the cleanest eating you’ve ever undertaken. Please give the challenge it’s fair due. There is definitely going to be an adaptation period where your body has to adjust to the change in its fuel input. This is not a one shot deal either – for example, after a drop of salad dressing you are not out and should not go right back to old eating habits. We do understand that for all of us, real life is still out there waiting and food consumption is a huge component to our work and social lives. For that reason we are going to work on a point system. If you are eating in a fashion that is 100% in line with the strictest Paleo guidelines and you feel terrible for weeks on end with your performance levels dropping, then please don’t continue for the sake of completing the month.

Guidelines
1. Eat real food – meat, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruit, oils (No vegetable or canola oil). Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re fresh and natural.

2. Do not eat dairy. This includes cheeses (hard and soft), yogurt (even Greek) and milk (including cream in your coffee).

3. Do not eat grains. This includes bread, rice, pasta, corn (yes, corn is a grain), oatmeal, etc.

4. Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds, lentils, and peanuts. (No peanut butter, kids.)

5. Do not eat sugars of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Truvia, Stevia, etc.

6. No to processed foods. Pretty much anything in the middle of the grocery store. Can't recognize it growing or running around in the wild? Don't eat it.

7. Do not drink alcohol, in any form. (I know, I know)

Point System
Everyone will starts with 0 points. If you break one of the above guidelines then give yourself a point. So if you have a piece of cheese, that’s a +1. However, if you have a glass of some sort of peanut vodka, that’s a +2, +1 for the peanuts and +1 for the alcohol. In the interest of keeping things simple, if you’re going to eat one piece of cheese or 20 of them, it’s still a +1, so go to town.

At the end of each day, log into a nutrition log and give yourself a score for that day or tally them up and give yourself a score for the week. Feel free to write in how you are feeling performance-wise and otherwise as well. Please feel free to post on our blog; reading about each others experiences will only serve to help.

Assessment
Everyone participating within the challenge will be given a small assessment on Monday, January 2nd and Thursday, February 2nd to measure results. This will include photos (before/after) and some physical capabilities. Feel free to inquire for more information.

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#WordlessWednesday - I Didn't Do It!

2011-12-21T20:34:00.000-06:00

I swear I did not put my children in a dog crate! ROFL... They put themselves in there first and then called Sydnee in to join them. Who needs doll houses and Transformers? All they really want is a dog crate. Geez!

2011 Goals - A Year in Review

2011-12-20T20:09:00.000-06:00

I found my 2011 New Year's Goals post and I want to see how I did this year!

It's not Thursday I know, but in the spirit of Thursday Thirteen I've decided to carry on the list of thirteen goals. To me it was kind of fun to come back a year later and see if I accomplished what I set out to do. The funny thing is most of my accomplishments came toward the end of the year.

Ready? let's go!

1.) My 10yo son needs his own room!- CHECK

2.) I want my "Silly" potty trained. - CHECK

3.) Our television needs a cabinet. I think our family dynamic worked better when it was put away in a room.- Still on the hunt for this one.

4.) Silly needs to get out of the crib and into her own bed. It's time! - CHECK

5.) It would be great to be debt free other than our mortgage. - CHECK!

6.) See how many of the Dave Ramsey steps we can get through.- Today we are on Baby Step 3

7.) Run a 5K every month. (Thanks to Katina J. for coming up with that one!) - CHECK

8.) This year I will continue to exercise and make better food choices and I will weigh less than I do right now by the end of the year!- Another 10 pounds down!

9.) Remodel the guest bathroom. - CHECK

10.) New mattresses for every bed in the house. Any suggestions? - CHECK

11.) Read a book a month. If you're not learning, you're not earning! Where did I get that one from? Keith S.?- NOT AT ALL

12.) Learn Spanish (my dream would be to become fluent but I might need more than a year of distractions to accomplish that goal!) NOT AT ALL

13.) Get back to Family Game Nights! Those are the most fun. NOT AT ALL

Running:
It was tough on my body at first but I'm better now than in January. My speed did increase but there were plenty of ups and downs. Weather conditions had a lot to do with my performance. My fastest time was in May. The plan is to continue to train and race but it won't be nearly as often. Having friends to run with is so much more fun and it is so good to have a support network. Oddly enough the bridge runs were my favorite, the flat roads get boring after a while. No concrete training for me! The trails are much better for my body. The music I found this year for running was awesome. Although there were a couple of races where my music player didn't work. I didn't like it at all because my tunes keep me in the right frame of mind. Some how through all of these race I fell into running 10Ks. Who knew I would pick up 3 of them this year, amazing. I think it's safe to consider myself a true runner. Lord knows I have been through several pairs of shoes this year. Hot yoga was great for my training because it helped me deal with the heat. Running helps me clear my head. I have a lot to think about when I run and it's great to have some time to sort it all out. Some races my feet and my stomach would take a beating. Every race was different and there was always some way to adapt. It's been an interesting ride.

5K's
Jan 42:10 Feb 37:00 Feb 38:23 Mar 32:28 Apr 32:13 May 31:31 June 38:32 10K avg July 32:45 Aug 33:46 Sept 32:35 Oct 31:47 Nov 31:35 10K avg Dec 35:075K's with Obstacles Sept 45:50
10K's
March No Chip Report June 1:18:17 October 1:05:34 November 1:06:48

Other goals/challenges completed:

Grunt Style Challenge through Mamavation

Run Hades through Fitness Collaborative

Flipping The Switch becoming a Morning Person

28 Day Health Challenge by VitaMark

Create an online course by UHCL

100 Day Burpee Challenge by Crossfit

Spring Slim Down Challenge Winner by Crossfit - Can't find the post but I have the plaque! Whoot.

To sum things up I would say that as a stay at home mom it's good to have other challenges besides raising kids. It's hard to keep yourself at the top of the "To Do" list but this year I have done a much better job. Can't wait for 2012!

#Mamavation Monday - Baby Steps

2011-12-19T11:34:00.000-06:00

I'm on my way back. I have been working really hard on my recovery with my trainer. He's got an awesome bag of tricks. My mind is just boggled by some of the stuff he comes up with but then again it's his field so he has to stay up to date. I'm glad that he makes that effort. I have been on ice for a week. Seriously! I have a square ice pack and I have those round ones that you fill with ice and they have the twist tops. I'm icing everything! I'm taking my vitamins again daily! I'm taking the fish oil and the ibuprofen. I want to be pain free. I'm going to do what it takes to get me back on track. This past week has felt like the Twilight Zone crossed with Murphy's Law. This is a new week. My head is clearer.

Still working on: Operation: Humpty Dumpty

Eating out:
Chick-Fil-A 12/1
Texas Roadhouse 12/2
Pizza 12/3

My Work Outs this past week-
12/12 Monday - Modified Crossfit Mobility WODS
12/13 Tuesday - Injured Rest Day
12/14 Wednesday - Modified Crossfit Mobility WODS
12/15 Thursday -Injured Rest Day
12/16 Friday -Injured Rest Day
12/17 Saturday - Injured Rest Day
12/18 Sunday - Injured Rest Day

Scale Reading -No movement. I'm glad I haven't been able to get that calorie burn.

Stress Level - So high I would have volunteered to be in a padded room just to get relief.

The UP side- I'm refocused.

A bit of inspiration for you ladies!
Remember - YOU are a role model.

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

The long term goal 45 pounds by the end of the year.
The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month.

January 179 - 180 = 1 pound gain
February 180 - 177 = 3 pound loss
March 177 - 176 = 1 pound loss
April 176 - 174 = 2 pound loss
May 173 -173 = 0 pounds lost
June176 - 170 = 6 pound loss
July 170 -172 = 2 pound gain
August 173 - 172 = 1 pound loss
September 173 -171 = 2 pound loss
October 171 - 169 = 2 pound loss
November 172 - 169 = 3 pound loss
December 170 -

Secure Your Success
Charting your progress gets you there faster. Try these tools:

Track my weight loss.

5 Fingers of Thanks

2011-12-18T16:18:00.000-06:00

1.) Thankful that the week is over. I need a new one, a fresh start.

2.) Thankful that my kids are happy with a pile of leaves and a couple of rakes.

3.) Thankful that I'm pretty much fully recovered from my lumbar sprain. I think I can begin training at the end of the week but I need to get the ok first. It could just be all in my head. lol

4.) Thankful my Mother enjoyed her 65th birthday!

5.) Thankful for such a wonderful group of friends that have really been helping me out over the past week just lending me an ear. It's been very helpful and I feel very blessed.

Letters To Santa

2011-12-17T10:22:00.005-06:00

It's that time again! My kids have prepared their letters to Santa. My 11 year old transcribed while the 3 year old rattled off her list! Hopefully you can read it. Just in case you can't......
Dear Santa, I want you to love me and not cry and don't make me cry and give me presents and a Happy New Year and don't make Darrien cry. I want a toy box and a airplane and a music box and a Dora in the bath and a step stool and a brush tank and a chair and a fairy kitchen. I want all of these presents and a cupcake! ROFL...

Apparently my son has forgotten how old he is but he would like a Transformer and an Ultimate Optimus Prime Transformer. Simple enough! Now from the 11 year old......

DEAR,mr.claus

For this annual holiday I request an xbox 360 .IF you certainly cannot deliver this piece of merchandise I would also like a drumset. if you still cannot deliver anything that I have asked for (I despise you if you cannot)then I would like an Venator class Republic starship. if none of this works out for you then I am making an appointment with the easter bunny. CAUTION: if you or any of your helpers do not understand this letter then this should make it clear:

I WANT PRESENTS OR ELSE!

Thank you for your participation,

The almighty,

D-Kramer buwahaha! oops sorry.

WHOA!!!! No pressure, right? Ugh!

Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

2011-12-15T18:12:00.000-06:00

#WordlessWednesday - Don't Break The Baby Jesus!

2011-12-14T08:20:00.002-06:00

That's what I keep telling her as she plays with our Manger set. She already broke the angel that watches over the scene. She was really sad when that happened. Now she's a little more careful.

#Mamavation Monday - Stop Your Belly Aching!

2011-12-12T16:54:00.002-06:00

"Stop your belly aching!" That's what I keep telling myself. It could be worse! It can always be worse. As long as your able to move and breath regardless of how slowly, you can make a come back. Recovery takes time but I'm not a good patient at all. However this time I have been listing to my Dr. and my trainer. After all I have a 1/2 marathon to prepare for so I need to be cautious. Today I was finally able to get a massage. It hurt like crazy. My flexibility is nada! Doesn't matter, I'm going to keep at it. I just feel happy to be back in the gym. My sanity has been restored.

Still working on: Operation: Humpty Dumpty

Eating out:
Chick-Fil-A 12/1
Texas Roadhouse 12/2
Pizza 12/3

My Work Outs this past week-
12/5 Monday - Injured Rest Day
12/6 Tuesday - Injured Rest Day
12/7 Wednesday - Injured Rest Day
12/8 Thursday -Injured Rest Day
12/9 Friday -Injured Rest Day
12/10 Saturday - Injured Rest Day
12/11 Sunday -Flexibility Testing, Stretching exercises

Scale Reading - 1 pound gain. I haven't broke a sweat in over a week. I'm not surprised.

Stress Level - I'm injured but I'm back in the gym. I'm not even crazy that my husband is once again leaving and I'm flying solo with all three kids again for 2 weeks. Yea, Happy Holidays!

The UP side- I'm in the gym which equals, stress relief, more flexibility, better sleep, there are adults there! I could keep going but you get the up side! :)

A bit of inspiration for you ladies!
Remember - YOU are a role model.

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

The long term goal 45 pounds by the end of the year.
The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month.

January 179 - 180 = 1 pound gain
February 180 - 177 = 3 pound loss
March 177 - 176 = 1 pound loss
April 176 - 174 = 2 pound loss
May 173 -173 = 0 pounds lost
June176 - 170 = 6 pound loss
July 170 -172 = 2 pound gain
August 173 - 172 = 1 pound loss
September 173 -171 = 2 pound loss
October 171 - 169 = 2 pound loss
November 172 - 169 = 3 pound loss
December 170 -

Secure Your Success
Charting your progress gets you there faster. Try these tools:

Track my weight loss.

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

2011-12-08T18:47:00.002-06:00

#WordlessWednesday - Now I Have The T-Shirt!

2011-12-06T19:17:00.000-06:00

Front

Back

I can't wait to wear this one to the gym! Whoot. I can't believe I actually made it through the whole challenge. It came with a price though. Oh well, I can still check it off my list of accomplishments this year.

5K Challenge - Complete!

2011-12-06T10:20:00.001-06:00

One of my goals for the New Year is to enter one 5K each month this year. CHECK!

5K #11 I actually ran a 10K on Thanksgiving. I also ran an obstacle course beach run before that so I'm finishing up this year with a 5K in December #12. It's the Reindeer Run! I'm nursing a back injury but I ran/walked it any way with a time of 35:07. Ugh! Not at all the way I wanted to finish off the year but I'm finished. I did complete what I started. I'm actually more impressed with my 10K progress this year. It wasn't a goal but it just sort of happened along the way. Who knew? What's next on my running goals? I'm going to tackle a 1/2 on February 5th. I need to start training but I need to recover from this back injury first. I'm not in the gym or running or really doing anything but resting in between therapy sessions. I'm not a fan of sitting idle but I know I have to. So CHEERS to the end of 2011. It was a great learning experience for me.

5K #10 What great weather to finally run in! Whoo Hoo. I didn't have any pink so I ended up wearing the race shirt. It was the most crowded race I've ever had the pleasure of running in. There was a lot of weaving in and out of people. Around the 2 mile marker I sort of just started doing intervals because it was so hard to keep a steady pace. My quads hurt, my knee was hurting and my other muscles (not sure of the name) on the sides of my calves were hurting. At the end of the race my left foot was killing me. It could have been from all that running up and down the curbs to get around people. I don't know. The up and down hills were unexpected too! However, running the Kemah bridge gave me preparation for those. It's possible that I should have just took a rest day yesterday. My legs were super sore. It was a great run for weather but not for the body! Kroger was there in full force with lots of snacks! It was great. There were tons of teams all decked out with awesome names. I'm so glad I got to participate this year. Even though it was crowded it was seriously worth it for such a great cause. My time 31:45. not my best but not too bad either.

5K #9 and still going strong. This was a race that I ran all by myself. None of my running or workout buddies were there for support, at least not physically. It was a little weird I have to be honest! I did it though. Today was the BENeezy Purple Monkey Fun Run in Alvin. It was a drive and I got lost in the dark at 6 something in the morning. lol - I made it there, I signed up, I ran it! The first mile they called out was 9:45 as my time. The second mile was 19:55. I knew I was going to too fast. Every time I get caught up in speed I die out at 2.5 - 3 miles. Sure enough my calves started to burn and I had to walk. There was a long stretch of road that was in the blazing sun. I was just begging to turn the corner to get in some shade. It was HOT! The next time that I heard was 29: something....then 31: something and I knew that I had not made any PRs today. It was disappointing! After I got home to post my time I realized that my time was faster than the last two races I've run. Guess I'll stop being so hard on myself. I'm really hoping that cooler weather will help me from dying out! I have to figure that out. Until October!

(Katina, Mo, Liz, Me)

5K #8 and counting! Only 4 more to go before I complete my New Year's goal of one 5K per month for the year. Today's race was the Outrigger's 5K. It was very hot! My iPod got stuck right before the race. That didn't help at all. I tried to stay focused but the heat got to me. It was really hard watching all my running buddies pass me by. There was puke on the concrete and behind me more people were getting sick. That part of it was not inspiring. I had a great pace for a while but it just wasn't working and I had to begin walk/run intervals. What was really cool is the .1 of the 3.1 mile I caught some crazy wind and just sprinted to the finish line. My time was 33:46. I have to tell you that the new sports bra and dry wick tank really helped! I'm so glad I actually spent the money to invest in a few dry wick shirts. Those cotton shirts are for the birds.

(Rico, Steve, Keith, Katina, Me, Nu and Ellis)

Another 5K marked off the list! This was the 33rd Lunar Rendezvous. I'm keeping steady with my goal for the year. This was a tough race. The humidity was just awful for me. I started to really feel it by 1.5 miles but then my iPod died at 2.5 miles and so did I. In order to finish I began run/walk intervals. There wasn't a whole lot of training for this and I hadn't logged any miles since last month at the 10K. My time for this race was 32:45.3. I'm a little surprised because I did feel like I was running faster and that I had a good pace but obviously not. Oh well, until the next one!

(Keith, Me, Nu and Steve)

Unfortunately I have to use this 10K to count for my June race. The other race I signed up for I wasn't able to make due to pneumonia. This was my second 10K to run and my time was 1 hour and 18 minutes. You can read more of the details of this 10K race here.

(Tif and Nu Rigby, Karen Nelson, me)

6th 5K and still meeting my once a month goal! It's May 7th and the 5K I ran today was the Sprint for Life supporting ovarian cancer. My hip didn't bother me until just short of the 2 mile marker. My music selection was Treading Tiesto 165bpm. The man at the 2 mile marker holding the stop watch called out 20 minutes! Squeals of joy!!! That means I was running 10 minute miles. I tried to get back into the race but I had to start doing run/walk intervals to finish it out because my hip was bothering me. After the 3rd mile I wanted to change up my music and the blasted iPod got stuck! I'm not sure how long I was messing with it but I took my ear phones out and just tried to finish out the race. When I saw the clock it said 32 minutes. I was a little disappointed and wished I had done better. Afterward we enjoyed all the yummy post race goodies and Nu checked my time and told me it was 31:31!!!!!!!!!!!! What???? Whoot that is a personal record for me. I'm so excited. Can't wait to see what my time will be when I don't have a stuck iPod or hip pain! I'm gonna rock it some more. Whoot!

5th 5K so far this year but this one counts toward my once a month goal. Today April 9th we ran the Shell Strides for School fun run. My iPod was on a new MotionTraxx.com program and the bpm was pretty high. I got caught up with the crowd in the first mile and ran it in 9 minutes something seconds. That is a really fast pace for me and I knew I was in trouble for the remaining distance. After the 2 mile mark I just sort of lost it. I stopped running and had a really hard time getting my pace back. During the final stretch a very nice lady encouraged me and we ran the rest of it together. I finished 32:13. I think that is my PR so far this year. It's getting hotter and hotter though.

4th 5K and this one does count toward my goal because it's the first one in March that I ran. The race was at 2:30pm and normally they begin at 8am or some time very early in the morning. Thank goodness the weather was on our side and it was a beautiful day. I finally broke down and bought a Nike Sport Armband for my iPod. Those things are really helpful! I'm catching up with the times. I also wore my new Brooks running shoes. Whoot! My time for this race was 32:28. Can you believe it? Me either. My times are all over the place but I am improving nonetheless. Next up is my first 10K! It's Angie's Half Crazy Marathon. I'm running it as a relay race with my good friend Ellis. I have three weeks to train. Wish me luck.

3rd 5K - This is not on my list because it's the second one in the same month but I still ran/walked it. This was the Galloway Gallop Fun Run in Kemah, Texas. Not a good run for me at all and my time was 38:23, 7th place in my age division out of 10 and a pace of 12:15. All week I had a fever off and on and I didn't feel good. For some reason I could not keep a pace! It was humid and I didn't eat before I ran. Lots of things went wrong during this race but I finished. That is all.

2nd 5K on my goal list. Today I ran the Brookwood Elementary Fun Run 2011 this morning at 10am. I was really worried about this run because I knew it was all on concrete. The pounding would not be good for my leg. This was a last minute entry but I'm glad I decided to go. Frantically I was looking for my Ipod which made me run late getting there and then I found it in my purse only to have a dead battery. In my head I was sure my time would be slower because I didn't think I could make it without music. My friend Liz said, "Maybe you will have a better time?" Who knew she would so right. My time for this race was a little under 37 minutes. I'm going with 37. Whoot! This is race number two on my 5K goal. I'm already signed up later this month for Galloway Gallop Mardi Gras Fun Run -.....

1st 5K of the New Year! This is the one I will be participating in for the month of January. I'm not a fan of running in the cold. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm a little nervous. My calves are cramping and my shins are tender from yesterday's crossfit training session. I'm doing and taking everything that I can to make myself better. If I end up walking then so be it! I refuse to re-injure myself.
WHOOT!!!!! I ran the whole sucka with a time of 42:10. I will take it. The cold weather worked in my favor. My calves were still tender but I stretched them out and made it through. No injuries! The trail was mostly grass and that made it more challenging but it was easier on my joints. Last year my goal was to run a whole 5K without walking. I didn't make that goal last year. However, I have to tell you that running the whole thing even though it's a slow time is one heck of a way to start out the year! I'm on cloud 9.

#Mamavation Monday - Short & Sweet

2011-12-05T08:34:00.000-06:00

The Paleo choices plan was working. I was seeing some awesome numbers this past week. Yesterday I just completely over did it on the bread. I have no idea what was going on. I'm a bit out of sorts with this stupid back injury. Nonetheless, I have a gain this week and packed it on yesterday with an overdose of bread. That was pretty easy to discover. Now I'm back on the battle. Grrrr.... I hurt my back on Wednesday and I have been out of the gym ever since. I some how managed to walk/run my last 5K on Saturday for the year. I had to complete my goal and I did. I didn't break any records with that race and it was about as painful as laying in the wrong position. I've been to the Dr. for an adjustment and I've had therapy several times. I've had the hot baths and the bags of ice and the biofreeze with a ton of pain relievers. It's taking forever to heal. At least it feels like forever. I need an outlet because I'm starting to get stir crazy! Just throw some prayers my way for healing.

Still working on: Operation: Humpty Dumpty

Eating out:
Chick-Fil-A 12/1
Texas Roadhouse 12/2
Pizza 12/3

My Work Outs this past week-
11/28 Monday - Work Day
11/29 Tuesday - Crossfit, Mobility WOD, Taebo
11/30 Wednesday - Crossfit, Mobility WOD
12/1 Thursday -Injured Rest Day
12/2 Friday -Injured Rest Day
12/3 Saturday - 5K
12/4 Sunday - Injured Rest Day

Scale Reading - 1 pound gain. It's the stupid bread.

Stress Level - I'm injured and depressed.

The UP side- I'm signing up to run my first half marathon for next year.

A bit of inspiration for you ladies!
Remember - YOU are a role model.

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

The long term goal 45 pounds by the end of the year.
The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month.

January 179 - 180 = 1 pound gain
February 180 - 177 = 3 pound loss
March 177 - 176 = 1 pound loss
April 176 - 174 = 2 pound loss
May 173 -173 = 0 pounds lost
June176 - 170 = 6 pound loss
July 170 -172 = 2 pound gain
August 173 - 172 = 1 pound loss
September 173 -171 = 2 pound loss
October 171 - 169 = 2 pound loss
November 172 - 169 = 3 pound loss
December 170 -

Secure Your Success
Charting your progress gets you there faster. Try these tools:

Track my weight loss.

5 Fingers of Thanks

2011-12-04T15:21:00.000-06:00

1.) Thankful that I fulfilled my New Year's Goal of running one 5k per month for the year! It didn't finish the way I thought it would but I did complete my goal.

2.) Thankful that my burpee t-shirts are done! I'll post a photo later.

3.) Thankful that I am recovering from Wednesday's work out. I really messed up my back. I'm trying not to fall into a deep depression since I don't have a stress outlet. It's been a battle.

4.) Thankful my Lady Isaacs have arrived.

5.) Thankful that I'm optimistic about completing my first half next year.

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

2011-12-01T22:50:00.000-06:00

#WordlessWednesday - Best Shot

2011-11-29T21:12:00.000-06:00

I was trying to get a cute shot of her in her pony tails and she insisted on showing me her blue cup! I can't help but love this shot. She just looks so happy with herself. To capture that kind of joy is priceless.

Mobility WOD Challenge Series - #1

2011-11-29T17:02:00.000-06:00

Since my trainer and I have been working on putting me back together. That's the Operation: Humpty Dumpty series, I have been inspired to focus on my range of motion. People seem to think that I'm fit and because I do Crossfit it makes me some sort of super human. Honestly, every time I go in the gym I find more things to work on. My range of motion is just one of the many on my list. My plan is to follow the San Fransico Crossfit mobility wod video series and share that with you here.

Assignment one: Hold a 10 minute squat.
Results Day 1: Held it for 3 minutes while holding the leg of my desk! lol - Yea, I'm not quite there yet. You give it a try. Let me know how it goes!

Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

#Mamavation Monday - Paleo Days

2011-11-28T16:07:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine is working on her 30 Day Paleo Challenge and asked if I wanted to join her. I really did struggle with this and thought about it long and hard. I'm not a fan of failure and without serious preparation I don't think I would succeed. I found this online challenge if you are curious about what is and isn't on the list of things you can eat. http://unitedbarbell.com/dox/30%20Day%20Paleo%20Challenge%20Packet.pdf

I really did think about how my whole family would have to switch as well but that there are nuts involved. My son is allergic. Many of the recipes call for certain oils or flours that he can't eat. This would be a hard shift and I would have do some serious digging for recipes. I don't eat seafood either. I have a picky pallet. Do I really want to give up cheese, milk and bread? One day while I was thinking about all of this I sort of caught myself eating all sorts of stuff but none of it was on that Paleo list of foods. For example a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The bread, jelly and peanut butter are NOT on the list. I realized that I might be able to have a Paleo day but that might be about it. This just made me more cautious about what I'm eating.

Calorie counting for me is a joke. I've tried tracking every single thing and plugging it into MyFitnessPal.com. I did ok for a while and then got busy and forgot what I ate and soon I was counting calories for those 2 Oreos I ate. Seriously? Then the birthdays, holidays and parties hit and why the heck do I want to feel guilty over a damn cupcake? I don't. I'm not. I work super hard every single week and I KNOW that exercise alone isn't going to do it all. I can't go run a 10K and come home and eat a large pizza and expect to lose weight. I get it.

What I'm going to do is make more of an effort to eat more on the Paleo side. For instance last night was
Steak (Paleo)
Mashed Potatoes (not Paleo)
Broccoli (Paleo)
Cheese topping (not Paleo)
Apples (Paleo)

Crumble with 1 scoop of ice cream (not Paleo)

See how that's half and half? I need to make more Paleo choices every single day. I'm going to fight that battle first. It's more likely to become a habit that way. I'll let you know how it goes.

Still working on: Operation: Humpty Dumpty

Eating out:
Feast With The Beast 11/5
Jimmy Changas 11/6
Texas Ren Fest & Moguls 11/12

My Work Outs this past week-
11/21 Monday - Crossfit, Mobility WOD
11/22 Tuesday - Crossfit, Mobility WOD, Taebo
11/23 Wednesday - Rest Day
11/24 Thursday - 10K
11/25 Friday - Crossfit, Mobility WOD
11/26 Saturday -Rest Day
11/27 Sunday - Crossfit, Mobility WOD

Scale Reading - 7 pound loss???? WT???? I'm believing the scale this week because when I put on my jeans there were too big!

Stress Level - It's not pleasant. Our oldest dog who will be turning 14 in a few days seems to be very sick. I think she is dying. :( That will be our 3rd dog this year. We got them all as puppies so they are all the same age.

The UP side-I'm near the end of finishing my New Year's goal! 1 5K per month.

A bit of inspiration for you ladies!
Remember - YOU are a role model.

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

The long term goal 45 pounds by the end of the year.
The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month.

January 179 - 180 = 1 pound gain
February 180 - 177 = 3 pound loss
March 177 - 176 = 1 pound loss
April 176 - 174 = 2 pound loss
May 173 -173 = 0 pounds lost
June176 - 170 = 6 pound loss
July 170 -172 = 2 pound gain
August 173 - 172 = 1 pound loss
September 173 -171 = 2 pound loss
October 171 - 169 = 2 pound loss
November 172 -
December

Secure Your Success
Charting your progress gets you there faster. Try these tools:

Track my weight loss.

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

2011-11-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving - Turkey Trot #10K

2011-11-24T21:03:00.000-06:00

From the left: Liz, Christina, Cameo, Keith, Me, Steve, Mo and Rico

What a crazy way to start out Thanksgiving Day! I was really nervous going into this race because I didn't train by logging any miles. The only time I have ran is in a work out at Crossfit. My last run was Galveston's Toughest 10K on the Causeway. I think once you do those bridge runs you can really do a flat race but I'm not a fan of the concrete courses.
It started out with not getting a good nights sleep because my kids were playing musical beds. I did start stretching out though as soon as I got moving. Next up I tried out Bob Harper's suggestion for runners by eating some oatmeal for my complex carbs 45 minutes before a race to maintain energy. That advice would come back to bite me! I finally got to On The Run and picked up my chip and met up with our group. There are a few missing from the photo. It was great to have so many people to run with today.
Then I checked the music on my iPod and get this, all I had was Kidz Bop music from a wedding reception that we had last weekend for some friends. All my rock my run music was gone! To my horror I knew I would be listening to the chicken dance, hokey pokey and the bunny hop! That's right, I just went with the flow on this one. After that first mile that oatmeal wanted to leave so I had to actually leave the course and stop at the Shell station much to my horror. Never will I have oatmeal before a race again! NOTED
I did really well until I got around miles 4-5 because my body started to get cold and stiffen up. I really wish I would have had my calf sleeves or longer pants. It was hard to pick up speed! Then I kept thinking about what it would be like to have to run 6 more miles. My feet were burning. They kept sliding back and forth inside my shoes.

This is the footage from crossing the finish line. I was trying to avoid running over that baby! My body was in cyborg mode. It was really cold by the end. I wonder if I should have put my jacket back on?

Unfortunately my time was slower on this flat course than the Causeway bridge. Of course maybe my trip to the bathroom didn't exactly help my time either. Geez! It's over though and I'm glad I did it without walking. The only thing I have to do now is figure out what is going on with my shoes. I have some serious blisters and bruises now. :(

Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

#WordlessWednesday - There's No Place Like Home!

2011-11-23T09:18:00.000-06:00

This photo reminds me of Dorthy in the Wizard of Oz clicking her heels to go home! I entered a contest for a free pair of shoes from www.pairendipity.com off of the Parenting Pink web site and won. She loves her new shoes.

#Mamavation Monday - Almost To The End!

2011-11-21T13:03:00.001-06:00

What's next? Operation: Humpty Dumpty

Very disappointed because from the first of the year to now it's been a total of 3 pounds lost. It could have been 10 but I've been gaining steadily. I guess if I ran the rest of the year it might help. I'm faster and stronger but I still have such a long way to go. It's hard to see the upside when you look at the scale numbers. I'm no longer clear about what my goals are and I feel like I'm back sliding. My head isn't clear at all. Maybe I just need to go back to basics, get my head clear and start all over again. I don't know. I'm leaving the video today because it still pertains to the daily battle.

Eating out:
Feast With The Beast 11/5
Jimmy Changas 11/6
Texas Ren Fest & Moguls 11/12

My Work Outs this past week-
11/14 Monday - Work Day
11/15 Tuesday - Rest Day
11/16 Wednesday - Crossfit, Mobility WOD
11/17 Thursday - Crossfit, Mobility WOD
11/18 Friday - Crossfit, Mobility WOD
11/19 Saturday -Rest Day
11/20 Sunday - Rest Day

Scale Reading -Nothing lost and nothing gained. Utterly frustrated.

Stress Level -The rough parts are over I think. Well except for the taxes. That's a whole different chapter.

The UP side- A Turkey run! Decided on the 10K. Haven't logged any miles but I feel good about clearing my head.

A bit of inspiration for you ladies!
Remember - YOU are a role model.

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

The long term goal 45 pounds by the end of the year.
The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month.

January 179 - 180 = 1 pound gain
February 180 - 177 = 3 pound loss
March 177 - 176 = 1 pound loss
April 176 - 174 = 2 pound loss
May 173 -173 = 0 pounds lost
June176 - 170 = 6 pound loss
July 170 -172 = 2 pound gain
August 173 - 172 = 1 pound loss
September 173 -171 = 2 pound loss
October 171 - 169 = 2 pound loss
November172 -
December

Secure Your Success
Charting your progress gets you there faster. Try these tools:

Track my weight loss.

5 Fingers of Thanks

2011-11-20T12:26:00.000-06:00

I have tons of things to be thankful for this week! I can't believe I'm going to have to narrow it down to 5.

1.) Thankful Saturday's fundraising celebration went well and that we all recovered nicely from the after party.

2.) Thankful our church's Reunion party was a HUGE success!

3.) Thankful that our freezer is packed to the max thanks to Mid America Foods.

4.) Thankful to have a such a good group of friends to help me pull off such big events.

5.) Thankful my trainer finally got to have some down time! He deserves it.

#Aloha Friday 275 - Favorite Thanksgiving Dish?

2011-11-18T07:46:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! You know what that means, food. I love my grandmother's pumpkin pie.

What's your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

2011-11-17T20:46:00.000-06:00

#WordlessWednesday - Dog Days

2011-11-16T08:31:00.000-06:00

This is our one year old pup Leo. I wonder if this was before or after he chewed up my son's or daughter's shoe. Guess he was extra bored since he at them both. He requires constant entertainment. Oh the life of a dog.

#Mamavation Monday - Holiday Season is Coming!

2011-11-14T08:25:00.000-06:00

Please be sure to congratulate these #Mamavation #bookieboo #burpee finishers!
@beeacutie2, @MamaSarahJane, @lorisica
For the end of the challenge please log on to BookieBoo.com to see these amazing ladies finish it out!

What's next? Operation: Humpty Dumpty

Double edged sword. We are done with the challenge but my range of motion is just not there. I'm off the wagon with food journaling, water intake and vitamins. Consistency seems to be a major issue with me. It's frustrating and very annoying. All the exercise in the world isn't going to take off the pounds if I can't get the food intake under control. It's just a matter of spinning my wheels. In two years since I've been with Mamavation I have lost about 20 pounds. However, I've never done the campaign I've only been a supporter. It's been a great resource for me! I'm still missing the nutrition part. Gotta work on that and NOT after the holidays but now, today! lol

Eating out:
Feast With The Beast 11/5
Jimmy Changas 11/6
Texas Ren Fest & Moguls 11/12

My Work Outs this past week-
10/24 Monday - Crossfit, #100DayBurpeeChallenge
10/25 Tuesday - Crossfit, #100DayBurpeeChallenge
10/26 Wednesday - Crossfit, Mobility WOD
10/27 Thursday - Crossfit, Mobility WOD
10/28 Friday - Crossfit, Mobility WOD
10/29 Saturday - Walk for 3 hours
10/30 Sunday - Mobility WOD

Scale Reading - 4 pound gain this week. Could be all the water retention. Could be over indulging this weekend. I had tons to celebrate!

Stress Level - Right back up again with my husband traveling. It gets really old.

The UP side- A Turkey run! Decided on the 10K.I have concerns because of my lack of range of motion.

A bit of inspiration for you ladies!
Remember - YOU are a role model.

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

The long term goal 45 pounds by the end of the year.
The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month.

January 179 - 180 = 1 pound gain
February 180 - 177 = 3 pound loss
March 177 - 176 = 1 pound loss
April 176 - 174 = 2 pound loss
May 173 -173 = 0 pounds lost
June176 - 170 = 6 pound loss
July 170 -172 = 2 pound gain
August 173 - 172 = 1 pound loss
September 173 -171 = 2 pound loss
October 171 - 169 = 2 pound loss
November172 -
December

Secure Your Success
Charting your progress gets you there faster. Try these tools:

Track my weight loss.

Operation: Humpty Dumpty

2011-11-13T21:34:00.002-06:00

What's next? What do you do after you complete 5,050 burpees? Do you go back down the ladder? Do you start again? These are just a few of the questions that I've been asked. Here are my answers! No one wants to go back down the ladder. After you complete that many burpees you recover. Now, my trainer and I work on putting me back together again through a long series of mobility wods. First, let me start out by saying that during the burpee challenge I continued Crossfit training, running 5Ks/10Ks and obstacle course runs and I would throw in some Taebo. I stayed tender during the entire process but never had any real dominating pain. My trainer did warn me about the high volume. I heard him but I had to finish. He was preparing me for what was to come and we agreed some where in the 80's that we would begin repairing my body.

If you followed by burpee challenge journal at all then you know on Day 99 before I did the burpees I pulled a muscle in the left side of my lower back. I was lifting very light weights. It's possible that it was just a matter of time before it all caught up with me. It did and I'm paying for it now. I have all sorts of issues.

I found this anatomy image on dreamartgallery.com. Then I decided to take a red brush and show you my issues. The challenged ended on the 8th and 5 days later after an adjustment, a stretch massage, many epsom salt baths, lots of foam rolling, pain relievers, biofreeze, 3 mobility wods and ice this is where the pain is located. On a scale of 1-10 , 10 being the worst pain I would say that right now I'm about an 8. It's time to recover. Now you will find me in the gym on the verge of tears trying to grind out my muscle tissue. Here I'm going to journal my recovery and mobility wods so that it might help someone else.

11/9 - Day 1 recovery - 1st mobility wod. A series that my trainer walked me through from head to toe! There were lots of rotations for every part of my body. We did a stretching series from head to toe as well. I wish I could remember them all. Maybe I can come back and post some of them.
11/10 - Day 2 recovery - 2nd mobility wod. Another series of stretches and working with the La Cross balls. They are great for getting out those kinks! Especially for plantar fasciitis. There was a ton of foam rolling.
11/11 - Day 3 recovery - arm band stretches to help my posture, 100 reps. These are the ones that brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to punch someone. It hurt a lot. My shoulders have this crunchy sound when they rotate. Good times!
11/13 - Day 4 recovery - mobility wod ladder 8-1 spider man push ups - I got stuck on the 6th rep of the first set. The pain on left side is ugly. Torso rotations - I had a hard time keeping my shoulders on the floor. Windmills with a 10 pound kettle bell. Every time I rotated to my right foot my left side was in pain. There is a stretch that he has be do where I put my leg on a box at an angle and then I lean over to get a good stretch. When I try that on my left leg it doesn't lay flat. It's at a 45 degree angle off of the box! Ugh!

11/14 - 11/30 It's been a long road. I'm still not fully recovered but I'm so much better than before.

The hip flexor issues could be inflammed from that 10K I ran on Thanksgiving. I wish my body would heal faster. I have been back on my vitamins regularly now. I'm eating and sleeping better. Here are a few of the exercises that my trainer has been working with me on. I'll add more as I find them.

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5 Fingers of Thanks

2011-11-13T19:53:00.000-06:00

1.) Thankful that the challenge is over and my trainer is working with me to put myself back together again.

2.) Thankful that Parent's Night Out was a success.

3.) Thankful that we got to go to The Texas Renaissance Festival.

4.) Thankful that we are going to have our first food distribution with Mid America Foods this Saturday.

5.) Thankful for Blue Bell. The best ice cream in the country. Love their fun flavors!

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

2011-11-11T08:32:00.001-06:00

A Renaissance Woman

Recovery Gadgets

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 24 & 25

#WordlessWednesday - Lego Party at The Kramers

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 22 & 23

#Mamavation Monday - Paleo/Whole 30

5 Fingers of Thanks

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 21

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 19 & 20

The End of a Pack

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 17 & 18

#WordlessWednesday - Best Family Dog Ever!

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 15 & 16

#Mamavation Monday - Results are Here!

5 Fingers of Thanks

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 13 & 14

Avocado Shake

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 12

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

#Aloha Friday 277 - Eating Habits

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 11

All The Kings Horses and All The Kings Men....

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 10

#WordlessWednesday - Lego Tree House

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 9

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 8

#Mamavation Monday - Back To The Scanning Board!

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 7

5 Fingers of Thanks

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Days 5 & 6

4 bananas (mashed)1 cup of coconut flakesCinnamon to tasteMix it all together and place in in the fridge or even the freezer until to desired temp

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 4

From My Inbox - Ideas To Make Life Easier

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 3

#WordlessWednesday - Puppy Love

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 2

#Mamavation Monday - New Year, Same Me?

#30DayPaleoChallenge - Day 1

5 Fingers of Thanks

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

#Mamavation - Wrapping Up The Year

5 Fingers of Thanks

12 Day of Christmas, #Crossfit Style

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

#Aloha Friday 276 - Traditions

How To Keep Those Little People Occupied

Paleo Challenge 2012 - Marking My Calendar

#WordlessWednesday - I Didn't Do It!

2011 Goals - A Year in Review

#Mamavation Monday - Baby Steps

5 Fingers of Thanks

Letters To Santa

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

#WordlessWednesday - Don't Break The Baby Jesus!

#Mamavation Monday - Stop Your Belly Aching!

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

#WordlessWednesday - Now I Have The T-Shirt!

5K Challenge - Complete!

#Mamavation Monday - Short & Sweet

5 Fingers of Thanks

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

#WordlessWednesday - Best Shot

Mobility WOD Challenge Series - #1

#Mamavation Monday - Paleo Days

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

Happy Thanksgiving - Turkey Trot #10K

#WordlessWednesday - There's No Place Like Home!

#Mamavation Monday - Almost To The End!

5 Fingers of Thanks

#Aloha Friday 275 - Favorite Thanksgiving Dish?

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

#WordlessWednesday - Dog Days

#Mamavation Monday - Holiday Season is Coming!

Operation: Humpty Dumpty

5 Fingers of Thanks

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

4 bananas (mashed)
1 cup of coconut flakes
Cinnamon to taste

Mix it all together and place in in the fridge or even the freezer until to desired temp